Escalating Red Sox Fan Demand for Offseason Trade with Cardinals Becoming Increasingly Laughable Daily
Spontaneous Banter:
Sometimes, the Twitter trade rumors are so outrageous, they'regotta make ya laugh – hard. And boy, Boston Red Sox fans took the cake this offseason with their quixotic quest for St. Louis Cardinals' Ivan Herrera in a Nolan Arenado trade. Yes, you read that correctly.
Guess who wasn't jumping on that bandwagon? The Cardinals. That's who.
Let's add some context here. The idea that the Red Sox could land Herrera in a deal seemed to stem from the belief that the Cardinals were so financially-strapped they'd give up anything to offload Arenado's hefty contract. Spoiler alert: ain't happening.
In fact, some fans even thought they could have Herrera and Ryan Helsley in the same trade. Wild times, indeed.
Downright peculiar was the Sox fans' obsession with trading Triston Casas in such a deal. Despite his impressive offensive output in his first full big league season (130 wRC+ and 1.7 fWAR), fans perceived Casas as the key to the deal. Trouble is, Casas' defensive prowess leaves something to be desired, and his total games played in 2024 was less than Herrera's.
On the flip side, Herrera played in more games than Casas, posted a higher wRC+, had an additional year of contract control, and played a more valuable defensive position. PLUS, the Cardinals already had Willson Contreras manning first base – leaving three left-handed DH options, one of which was Casas. Yeah, not happening.
In case you need proof of just how wacky the fan discourse got, here are a couple examples of the Twitter madness:
And now comes the shocker – some Red Sox fans even believed the Cardinals would need to sacrifice even more to make the trade happen. They thought the Cardinals would still have to pay part of Arenado's contract or that Helsley or prospects would also have to be included. C'mon, people! Even the Red Sox woulda jumped at that deal!
Y'all, I've penned before how Herrera has been a top-15 hitter in baseball since 2023, and if he sticks behind the plate, he can be one of the game's best players[1]. But no, Red Sox fans saw this guy as just another trade chip in an Arenado deal. Because, ya know, Baseball Trade Values[2] told them so.
Casas's 2025 campaign started off brutal, slashing .182/.277/.303 with a 57 wRC+ in just 29 games before a left patellar tendon rupture dashed his season. Meanwhile, Herrera's been on fire with a .419/.480/.907 slash line (271 wRC+) after returning from injury. His performance is serving as a constant reminder of the absurd trades fans proposed this offseason.
It's not just Red Sox fans, though. Cardinals fans can be just as reckless with their trade fantasies. They often construct nonsensical deals involving three players they dislike, thinking they could land a star player in exchange[3].
Truth be told, I still catch myself thinking about that bizarre saga every now and then. Each time I see Herrera, I can't help but chuckle at the speculative trades Red Sox fans proposed. I bet a lot of Cardinals Nation media still mulls over those days, too.
Fortunately for the Cardinals – and Red Sox fans who prefer dreams to reality – Herrera is a Cardinal, and signs point to him staying put. Herrera looks like a rising star, and the Red Sox will just have to dream about snagging another young star. Maybe next time.
Insights:
- The beliefs among Boston Red Sox fans that Ivan Herrera could be acquired in a Nolan Arenado trade with the St. Louis Cardinals were largely driven by the mistaken assumption that the Cardinals were desperate to shed Arenado's substantial contract. This belief was unfounded, as the Cardinals were not likely to trade away one of their promising young players like Herrera in such a scenario[1].
- The idea may have been fueled by a lack of understanding about the Cardinals' actual priorities. The Cardinals' potential interest in trading Arenado was more about freeing up financial resources for contract extensions to their own young players, such as Ivan Herrera, rather than trading these promising players away[2][3].
- "If the Boston Red Sox were to pursue trades in the future, perhaps they could consider focusing on an availability of baseball players, like Ivan Herrera, rather than basing their strategy on misconceptions about a team's financial situation."
- "MLB trade discussions often test the limits of creativity, as shown by the fervent speculation among Red Sox fans over a potential Ivan Herrera trade for Nolan Arenado, despite the inherent improbability of such a deal."
