Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado Buzz Isn’t Anything Like Last Offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals have been the subject of endless trade rumors...
Patrick McAvoy|
Jul 23, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Jul 23, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis CardinalsPittsburgh PiratesLos Angeles Angels

It's been a whirlwind of a year for the St. Louis Cardinals and third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Last offseason, rumors began to circulate about Arenado and his role with the organization. St. Louis was open about the fact that it wanted to trade the veteran third baseman, but he had a reported five-team approved trade list with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the Houston Astros.

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

It's been a long year for Nolan Arenado

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado
Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) throws to first base for an out against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Arenado stuck around with St. Louis and seemingly was only open to the idea of joining one of the very top contenders in baseball. Now, a year later the vibe has shifted. Arenado reportedly is more open to waiving his no-trade clause and now he is being linked to more teams, including non-contenders. For example, MLB Network's Steve Phillips pitched the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Angels as fits for Arenado.

"I mean, you think about it. The one deal they had in place with the Astros, he rejected that deal," Phillips said. "And then there wasn't another opportunity anywhere else and his 2025 season was the worst of his career. So, if there were limited teams last year, you would suspect it to be more limited this year. I think that's probably going to be the case...

"I think for Arenado, it's going to have to be the right fit. It's probably not going to be a team with a win-now opportunity. I can see the Los Angeles Angels...I could see the Pirates maybe saying, 'Look we need to spend some money, we'll take the Arenado money and put a veteran in to help our young players grow.'"

Arenado is an eight-time All-Star and is considered to be one of the top overall third basemen in recent memory. The fact that his market has fallen so far is brutal. Whatever happens next, hopefully he is able to bounce back wherever he's playing in 2026.

Last offseason, Arenado was linked consistently to teams like the Yankees or Dodgers and now it's non-contenders getting tossed around.

More MLB: Predictions For Cardinals Trade Chips Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan

Published
Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News