Cardinals, Nolan Arenado Have Golden Opportunity In Front Of Them

Could this be the time the St. Louis Cardinals get a deal done?

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

2026 officially is here and that means we are not far away from the return of baseball.

Spring Training will kick off in February and then Opening Day will be here in March. The St. Louis Cardinals are going to be the team to watch over the next month before Spring Training gets here. Specifically, the trade block will be important for the organization. Will the Cardinals get another trade done involving a veteran like they did with Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras? This will be something to watch specifically for Nolan Arenado.

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There were rumors throughout the offseason last year, but St. Louis ended up hanging onto him for the 2025 season. Arenado is still a member of the Cardinals, but the vibe is a bit different this offseason than last year. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has spoken openly about Arenado and noted that the team will not be releasing him. Earlier in the week, The Athletic's Katie Woo and Will Sammon reported that the Los Angeles Angels have interest in Arenado.

The Cardinals need to call the Angels

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) runs home after his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"Multiple free-agent third basemen remain on the market, with Bregman and Eugenio Suarez leading the list," Woo and Sammon wrote. "Arenado, who is coming off a third straight season of offensive decline, is viewed as a backup option by many of the teams engaged with either player. As The Athletic reported last week, the Los Angeles Angels have interest in Arenado, but it remains to be seen if the Southern California native would waive his no-trade clause to join them."

The Cardinals should immediately get Los Angeles on the phone. Earlier in the week it was also reported that Anthony Rendon and the Angels agreed to a restructured deal to end his time with the organization. The Angels have a hole at third base and reported interest in Arenado. There aren't many teams that have been linked to him publicly. Last offseason, other teams popped up as speculative fits, like the Boston Red Sox, but went in different directions.

Arenado's market was significantly impacted by Alex Bregman's market last offseason. Teams like the Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Arizona Diamondbacks all have been linked to Bregman. But the Angels have not. There may not be a better option than Los Angeles for the Cardinals. The Angels have a hole in the infield, a known interest in Arenado, and aren't obstructed by the Bregman sweepstakes. This could be the opportunity the team needs.

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