Cubs’ Big Splash Doesn’t Solve Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado Dilemma

There are still hurdles to clear.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals still have some work left to do this offseason. Chaim Bloom has already traded Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox in separate deals.

However, there are still some big trade chips, including Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and JoJo Romero. With the Chicago Cubs signing Alex Bregman late on Saturday, the market could finally start moving for somebody like Donovan.

However, with Arenado, things get a little more complicated. Even with Bregman off the market, there are still quite a few hurdles to clear with the eight-time All-Star, and it’s going to be hard to move him.

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Cardinals Still Face Obstacles With Arenado

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

While the Bregman deal helps some, there are still a lot of other factors at play. Firstly, Eugenio Suarez and Bo Bichette are still free agents, and teams will be more interested in them than Arenado. That includes the Boston Red Sox, who got the short end of the stick with Bregman.

Then, there’s also the fact that only one team, the Los Angeles Angels has shown any interest in Arenado. The star third baseman wants to play for a contender, and despite a chance to play closer to home, the Angels don’t seem like a team he would be interested in playing for.

In order to move Arenado, the Cardinals are going to have to eat most of that contract, but even if they do that, they aren’t going to get much of anything in return for him. It might end up being nothing more than a salary dump, even if they are paying down most of the deal.

Arenado had one of his worst seasons at the plate in 2025, hitting just .237 with 12 home runs and a .666 OPS. It’s clear now that his best days are behind him and he isn’t the superstar he once was.

The Cardinals wasted their best opportunity to trade him in 2023 when they were out of contention and the Los Angeles Dodgers were making a push for him.

Now, they’re stuck in a less than ideal spot with him. And as long as Suarez and Bichette. still free agents, the Cardinals are going to have a tough time moving Arenado. 

The most likely outcome may be that he ultimately remains in St. Louis, as interest in him is so low at the moment.

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