Cardinals Could Shock MLB World With Shocking Trade Decision

Will the Cardinals trade Nolan Arenado?

Apr 30, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) prepares for the pitch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

For the last few months, the St. Louis Cardinals have been at the center of a lot of trade discussions revolving around veteran infielder Nolan Arenado and it makes a lot of sense.

The Cardinals are seemingly turning the page to a new era of baseball and dumping Arenado's massive contract would make a lot of sense. But the veteran's no-trade clause has made it quite difficult to trade him.

But at this point, it might not make as much sense to trade him away as it used to.

First of all, the Cardinals are backed into a corner with the veteran. They would need to trade him on his terms in a salary dump. It's unlikely they receive any substantial prospect return like they should because they hold no leverage in the deal. If Arenado opened his sights to more than just a handful of teams as landing spots, the Cardinals would hold more leverage and a deal could make some sense.

Secondly, Arenado is one of the only players earning a lot of money on the Cardinals. St. Louis doesn't necessarily need to trade the $260 million star. It would clear some money off the books, but it's not like the Cardinals are seemingly in a hurry to spend.

The baseball world expects Arenado to be traded in the coming months, likely before the trade deadline. But there's a chance the Cardinals opt to shock the baseball world and hold onto their star past the deadline.

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