Arenado Confirms Interest, Red Sox Celebrate Home Opener Win

BOSTON, Mass. — In a surprising offseason turn, Nolan Arenado revealed on Friday that he was open to joining the Boston Red Sox, having been willing to waive his no-trade rights from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Despite Arenado’s interest, a trade could not be finalized, leading the Sox to seek another right-handed hitter in free agency. “They were one of the teams that were on my list,” Arenado said. “But I really don’t feel the need to talk about it much more than that.”

Arenado expressed disappointment at missing out on reuniting with former Rockies teammate Trevor Story. “I’m not coming [to Boston], and I’m OK, and I feel good, and I like with what I’m doing, where we’re at, and I’m just focused on that,” he noted.

In his match-up against the Red Sox, Arenado went 1 for 5 with a double and a run. He has performed well at Fenway Park over his career, boasting a .322 batting average with nine extra-base hits and 15 RBIs in 14 games there, acknowledging that the unique dimensions of the park play to his strengths.

“I love to pull the ball so I like the wall a lot,” said Arenado, adding, “As a right-handed hitter, obviously, it’s a great place to hit. But when I’m right, I feel good at any ballpark.”

Curiously, Arenado also praised Story’s potential as he prepares to return from injury. “Once he gets going, it’s going to be hard to stop him, because he can do a lot of things,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t happen this series.”

Story certainly made an impact, hitting a three-run homer in Boston’s remarkable home opener, which culminated in a thrilling 13-9 victory over the Cardinals. The Sox celebrated the occasion with various antics, including wearing a Wally The Green Monster head after home runs, a tradition inspired by outfielder Jarren Duran.

The game was particularly poignant as the Red Sox honored the late Luis Tiant with a large banner in left field. Tiant’s family also participated in a special pregame ceremony.

Brayan Bello is set to continue his rehabilitation with Triple A Worcester in Jacksonville, while Lucas Giolito is anticipated to pitch at Polar Park on Tuesday. Both pitchers will likely require additional minor league games before being activated.

Newcomer Masataka Yoshida, recovering from shoulder surgery, participated in batting practice but remains unable to play in the outfield as he builds arm strength.

In the game, the Red Sox overpowered the Cardinals with a five-run first inning, featuring significant contributions from Alex Bregman, Trevor Story, and Wilyer Abreu, who all had substantial hits.

Bregman noted the electric atmosphere at Fenway. “It felt great to see the offense put together back-to-back at-bats and just pass the torch,” he said. “The place was rocking.”

Despite some struggles on the pitching front, primarily from starter Walker Buehler, who allowed five runs over five innings, the Red Sox’s offensive efforts ensured their victory.

Errors from Bregman and Campbell presented challenges in the ninth inning, bringing the game to a nail-biting finish but ultimately didn’t derail the Red Sox’s triumph.

“We’ve got a good team and I think the fans are responding to it,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “We’ve just got to keep working hard.”