With spring training just days away, the Boston Red Sox are running out of time to sign the righty bat they've spent much of the offseason seeking.
Boston's pursuit of Alex Bregman has not gone well, and repeated reports suggesting he will not accept a short-term deal don't bode well for its chances. The Red Sox, in response, have rekindled trade conversations with the St. Louis Cardinals about Nolan Arenado.
The Cardinals have characterized a potential trade of Arenado as "a top priority" this offseason. The veteran has a no-trade clause on his contract and he already declined a trade to Houston earlier this offseason. The Red Sox are one of the few teams he'd be willing to play for.
Arenado's recent social media activity has sent Sox fans into a frenzy. He posed a video of a towering home run off the bat of Red Sox legend Manny Ramirez, with no comment or context. Many Boston fans have interpreted the post as confirmation of a trade to the Red Sox.
Nolan Arenado's Instagram activity has Red Sox fans ready for him to come to Boston
Arenado has posted multiple pictures and videos this winter that have raised eyebrows from fans across the league, mostly pertaining to the Dodgers. He's used Kendrick Lamar's song "dodger blue" as a soundtrack for an Instagram post and donned LA caps in pictures. The southern California native grew up a Dodgers fan, and many fans believe they're his preferred trade destination.
The Ramirez home run Arenado posted was from his eight-year tenure in Cleveland and not his years with the Red Sox. Ramirez also played for the Dodgers, though, and the story could be yet another cryptic post about Arenado wanting to play in LA.
But as long as Boston needs a righty bat and the Cardinals' desperation to trade Arenado increases, many members of Red Sox Nation will hope his Instagram story is a signal he'll soon be changing his socks to a different shade of red.