All-Star Third Baseman Turned Down Trade to Angels Earlier This Year

Jul 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a single in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

St. Louis Cardinals All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado turned down a move to the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Nightengale listed the Halos as one of two teams in the AL West Arenado refused to move to, the other being the Houston Astros.

"In December, the Cardinals agreed to trade Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado in to the Houston Astros, but he exercised his no-trade clause," wrote Nightengale. "He had a chance to be traded to the Los Angeles Angels in January. He turned it down."

More news: Angels Officially Release Veteran Pitcher From Triple-A Following Disappointing Season

The Angels could have used Arenado this season, as third base has been a major point of contention for them. The spot is currently filled by Yoan Moncada and Luis Rengifo, however Moncada has been injured for most of the year and Rengifo struggled for most of the first half but has turned it around since the beginning of June.

Arenado, while not quite the player he used to be, would be a good addition to the Halos, as his above average glove would help improve the Angels' MLB-worst -37 Fielding Run Value and -30 Outs Above Average. He won a Gold Glove in the first 10 seasons of his career, and while his defensive ability has regressed, he still has a Fielding Run Value of 2, which places him in the 70th percentile of defenders.

The third baseman has struggled at the plate this year with just a .660 OPS, however his ability to put the ball in play is elite, as he strikes out less than 10 percent of the time and swings and misses less than 86 percent of MLB hitters.

More news: Angels 'Blew It' at Trade Deadline, Says MLB Insider

The Angels are making do without Arenado, and the price they would have had to pay for the remaining three years of his contract may have been too steep to consider anyways. They're currently 5.5 games out of the Wild Card heading into a series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday at 6:38 p.m. PT.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.