The San Diego Padres have been linked to a possible trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to acquire eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.

However, Arenado’s contract contains a no-trade clause, meaning he can approve or reject teams he wants to move to. The 10-time Gold Glove winner recently declined to waive his no-trade clause in a deal with the Houston Astros. Arenado has expressed that he is just willing to move to a team that has better options than the Cardinals can offer him.

While the Padres’ impressive postseason performance makes them a viable candidate for Arenado, the Southern California native reportedly has his eyes on another California team.

“He doesn’t want to panic at this time of year. He wants to wait and see what his best options are,” Cardinals insider John Denton said on ESPN. “That (the Los Angeles Dodgers) is his first choice, he still wants to go there. The Dodgers have downplayed their interest in him, mentioning that Max Muncy will be on the roster to start the season. Don’t let this unsettle you. The Dodgers still want Nolan Arenado. You are still interested in him. But if they downplay it and act like they’re not that interested, they might be able to forgo some of the money.”

Arenado is guaranteed to make $74 million over the next three seasons, so the Dodgers may be trying to find a possible discount for him. Denton believes Los Angeles has a strong interest in Arenado and added that Arenado’s hometown connection to the Dodgers makes his desire to join the franchise even stronger.

“I think it’s strong,” Denton said of the Dodgers’ interest. “You know Nolan would love to be there. This is his first choice. He grew up in Orange County and was a Dodgers fan. … Nolan will hold out until the Dodgers tell him no to his face.”

The five-time Silver Slugger, who hit 16 homers and 71 RBIs last season, has never won a World Series in his 12-year MLB career. It’s no surprise that Arenado wants to finish his career with the reigning Fall Classic champions.

“Until the Dodgers tell him bluntly, ‘No, I think he’s primarily going to hold out on that option,'” Denton said.

In addition to the Dodgers, Arenado is reportedly open to a trade with the Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox or New York Mets.

Denton provided further updates on Arenado in a conversation with Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation: