Cardinals, Nolan Areando Saga May Finally Have Clear Suitor

There is one team out there right now that makes almost too much sense for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado: the Los Angeles Angels.

Los Angeles has shown clear interest in the past in Arenado. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported in August that the Angels pursued Arenado last offseason, but the veteran third baseman closed the door on the possibility.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Now, the rumor mill is spinning again. The Athletic's Katie Woo and Will Sammon reported earlier in the week that the Angels have interest in Arenado once again. Angels beat reporter Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register also reported that the Angels could trade for Arenado in the wake of Anthony Rendon getting his deal restructured to end his stint with the team.

Will the Cardinals trade 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

"The Angels stopped planning for Rendon to be an everyday player years ago," Fletcher wrote. "They acquired players like Gio Urshela and Yoán Moncada to play third in recent seasons, and general manager Perry Minasian made it clear at the start of the winter that he was looking for a new third baseman in 2026.

"The Angels still haven’t acquired anyone for the position. At the moment, their most likely choices are Christian Moore, Vaughn Grissom or Denzer Guzman. Oswald Peraza and Kyren Paris could also get some time at third. On the free agent market, the big names are Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez. The Angels also could trade for Nolan Arenado, who is being shopped by the St. Louis Cardinals."

The Angels haven't been good in recent years. They have been aggressive and have landed a few relievers this offseason already, but clearly the Angels are an organization that needs more. On the negative side, Los Angeles arguably is in a worse place than the Cardinals are at right now. So, why would Arenado waive his no-trade clause? He's from the area and if there aren't any other options, this would at least give him a shot at a change of scenery and be close to home.

But the no-trade clause remains the key here. There's no way to know exactly what he wants. Towards the end of the 2025 season, reports signaled that Arenado would be more willing to waive the no-trade clause. Could that happen with Los Angeles?

More MLB: Where Cardinals Stand With 41 Days Until Spring Training