Cardinals Writer Believes $260 Million Star Could Be Gone This Offseason

Could this be the end of the line for the star third baseman in St. Louis?

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) fields a ground ball hit by Cincinnati Reds third baseman Santiago Espinal (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals lost another tough game on Monday night, falling 11-6 to the Cincinnati Reds and dropping to 73-78 on the season. They remain 4 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card race, but even with the New York Mets struggling, it is unlikely they will make up that deficit with just 11 games left on the schedule. They would need a lot of help from not just the Mets, but the other three teams ahead of them in the race.

Nolan Arenado made his return to the lineup after missing a month and a half with a shoulder injury. He picked up two hits and drove in a run in Monday night's loss. However, his future is uncertain.

Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants noted that this could ultimately be Arenado's final homestand as a member of the Cardinals.

Could Nolan Arenado Be Traded This Winter?

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) throws out Cincinnati Reds third baseman Santiago Espinal (not pictured) at first base in the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"Arenado, who has had a terrible year at the plate and now looks much more human defensively as well, was the subject of trade rumors all offseason, but the Cardinals were unable to find a deal that worked for both Arenado and the club. But with St. Louis seemingly years away from contention at this point and looking to save money on their payroll, the odds they look to offload Arenado again this offseason seem rather high," Jacobs wrote on Monday.

Even after his two-hit game on Monday night against Cincinnati, Arenado is hitting just .238/.296/.370 with 10 home runs, 44 RBI and a .666 OPS. It has been one of his worst seasons at the plate, especially since the Cardinals acquired him from the Colorado Rockies back in 2021.

The Cardinals were hoping to send Arenado to the Boston Red Sox last winter, but when Boston signed Alex Bregman, those chances diminished. Now, it remains to be seen if any team will want Arenado. He also had previously declined a trade to the Houston Astros.

If the Cardinals want to trade him, they'll have to eat a little bit more money than they originally hoped they would. But they can still cut costs by trading him elsewhere.

Sending Arenado to a contender would open up third base for either Nolan Gorman or Thomas Saggese. It will be interesting to see if he even has a market this offseason.

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