Instant Breakdown As Nolan Cardinals-Cardinals Era Ends

It took a year to do so, but the St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly trading third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arenado, an eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, joined the Cardinals ahead of the 2021 season by way of a trade with the Colorado Rockies. Arenado initially was viewed as a potential finishing piece for a contender in St. Louis with Paul Goldschmidt. He was an All-Star in his first three seasons with the organization and finished third in the National League Most Valuable Player Award race in 2022.

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He was everything the team could've hoped for, but things haven't gone the team's way over the last three seasons. As a reset began last offseason, trade rumors began, but he initially shut down a deal to the Houston Astros with his no-trade clause. Arenado stuck around in 2025 and then the rumors picked back up. Now, he reportedly has waived his no-trade clause and will be joining the Diamonbacks, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Athletic's Katie Woo reported that the club was in "serious discussions" with Arizona.

"Breaking: The Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, sources tell ESPN," Passan wrote on X. "Arenado has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and the deal is done."

The Nolan Arenado era is over

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

Instant Impact For St. Louis

Nolan Arenado Chapter Officially Ends
This is a big deal in itself. The Cardinals made it known last offseason that they were entering into a reset period. The Cardinals traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras earlier in the offseason, but this is the deal that really pushes things over the edge. Arenado is a future Hall of Famer and when he came over to the organization there was so much hope that he and Goldschmidt could win a World Series together. Goldschmidt left last offseason and now Arenado is gone. It really is a new era.

Third base
Fortunately, the Cardinals have options, although there are big shoes to fill. The three most likely options are Nolan Gorman, JJ Wetherholt, and Thomas Saggese. Gorman filled in as the starter when Arenado was on the Injured List in 2025. This is purely speculative, but he should be considered the favorite for the spot right now. Brendan Donovan is still with the organization, but if he were to get dealt, it would make sense to fill Wetherholt in at second base -- if he makes the team out of camp. In that scenario, let Gorman and Saggese duke it out for third base. All of this is to say, there are seamless options.

Next Steps
Three trades down, at least one to go. Donovan remains the team's best trade chip and on Tuesday, Passan reported that the San Francisco Giants were "aggressively" pursuing him. The market is heating up. Donovan seems like the next chip to go.

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