Cardinals’ Path to Trading Nolan Arenado Just Got More Complicated

Trading Arenado remains a priority, but also very difficult.

Sep 20, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a one run single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

On Sunday, the St. Louis Cardinals continued making progress towards their ultimate goal of rebuilding for the future, sending first baseman Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox.

It’s the second trade they’ve made with Boston this offseason, having already sent Sonny Gray their way back in November. But the biggest priority for Chaim Bloom remains trading Nolan Arenado.

Once again, his market depends on what happens with the top free agent third basemen. According to Ken Rosenthal, the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays are in the mix with the Red Sox for Alex Bregman, and that may complicate things for Arenado.

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Bregman’s Market Will Cause Arenado’s To Stall

Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a single during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Last offseason, the Cardinals were close to sending Arenado to the Houston Astros, and it wasn’t until he blocked the trade that it fell through. There was no more movement in his market, and the Red Sox ultimately chose Bregman over him.

Once again, the top priority for teams in need of a third baseman will be Bregman. Eugenio Suarez is also a free agent and will draw more interest.

It won’t be until both players sign that Arenado’s market will start moving, and if that takes a while, it’s going to make it even harder for Bloom to trade him elsewhere, even if the Cardinals are willing to eat more money to make a trade happen and get a better return.

So, unfortunately for St. Louis, they may still be stuck with Arenado’s contract for the next two years. All of the interest right now is on Bregman, and Suarez will follow. 

That puts Arenado’s market on the backburner. The Cardinals want to trade Arenado to get out from under some of his remaining money, but his market just isn’t moving right now, and it may not at all this offseason, which doesn’t bode well for St. Louis.

It ultimately all depends on when Bregman signs, but with a lot of teams in the mix for him, it’s going to cause Arenado’s market to move much slower. It will be interesting to see if St. Louis can find a taker for him, but right now that doesn’t seem very likely.

In the end, Arenado may ultimately stay in St. Louis for at least one more year.

More MLB: Cardinals Next Steps After Cutting Ties With Willson Contreras