Cardinals May Have Easier Time Trading Nolan Arenado Now

The most talked-about guy on the St. Louis Cardinals surely is Nolan Arenado.

He is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best overall third basemen in recent memory. But, his time with the organization very well could come to an end this offseason. He came to town ahead of the 2021 season and has been with St. Louis ever since. When the Cardinals landed him, it was a good idea. St. Louis was trying to build a winner and pairing him with Paul Goldschmidt formed one of the most fearsome duos in the National League.

Unfortunately, the duo couldn't win a title together. The Cardinals let Goldschmidt walk last offseason and Arenado has been in trade rumors for a year. All of the signs of the offseason so far have pointed to a potential deal. USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale had a brief update on Arenado and said he may not turn down any team with his no-trade clause this offseason.

"Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado: He rejected deals to the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels a year ago," Nightengale said. "This time around, he may not say no to anybody and will be willing to waive his no-trade clause to get out of town. The Cardinals will have to pay down some of the remaining $31 million left on his contract through 2027."

All eyes are on Nolan Arenado

Sep 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) salutes the fans after he was ceremonially removed before the start of the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

It makes sense that the Cardinals would have to pay down part of his deal in order to move him after spending time on the Injured List throughout the summer. Also, the fact that Nightengale specifically said that Arenado may not say no to anyone, would significantly open up his market.

For St. Louis, it should look to act quickly. Last offseason, he was linked to the Boston Red Sox, but a deal didn't happen because they signed Alex Bregman. For the Cardinals' sake, they should look to get a deal done as fast as possible so they don't have to rely on the market of other players, like Bregman who is a free agent again.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom talked about the idea of including money in a deal and although he said a team obviously wouldn't want to do that, he made it sound like it's much more possible this year for that to be the case.

Adding Arenado was the right move. Even if this is the end, he will be remembered fondly in St. Louis for his performance on the field and work off of it over the last few years.

More MLB: Chaim Bloom's Comments Are Great For Nolan Arenado-Cardinals Trade