Intriguing Cardinals, Mariners Trade Idea Emerges From Jon Morosi

The noise around Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals has been endless over the last year.

The chatter has continued into this offseason, but Cardinals president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, sounded confident at the winter meetings that a deal will ultimately get done at some point.

"We've been open about this, really for a while now," Bloom said. "Nolan Arenado and I had some great conversations as we were getting close to the end of the season. We sat down for a while that last week in Chicago and talked through everything. I think we're on the same page to where it really makes sense for everybody to find a different fit. We're going to do that. Until it happens, I understand the question and understand why it is asked. But we will find something that will work for us (and) something that will work for him. Releasing him isn't really something. Whenever it happens during the course of this offseason, we think it's something that makes sense for everybody. This guy still has a bunch of baseball left."

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If Arenado does get moved, where could he go? MLB Network's Jon Morosi floated the Seattle Mariners as a fit while joining Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

The Cardinals should call the Mariners

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

"The thing about Nolan is I think he wants to be in a winning environment,” Morosi said. “I think in some ways he’d be a really nice player to add to the Mariners mix because I think he would be a good mentor for (25-year-old third baseman Ben) Williamson...

"The Cardinals are probably going to pay down that salary a lot and it’s just a matter of finding the right place for him,” Morosi said. “So if they pay down that salary to where the Mariners only have to spend, let’s just say, $2 million to have Nolan Arenado on your team, I think you do that...

"I think he’s got a good chance to bounce back. I think he’d be a great addition, and really (would give) this young team a real sense of resolve,” he said. “Obviously they’ve got their own resolve losing Game 7 of the ALCS, but Nolan has been oh-so-close in different playoff situations in the past. Like, he’s got a real hunger to win."

The idea of Arenado to Seattle makes a lot of sense. The Mariners seemingly have a hole at third base with Eugenio Suárez a free agent. Arenado would help the team defensively and be a veteran presence for a pretty young team. But the idea of paying down Arenado's deal until there's only $2 million left seems a bit aggressive, unless the Cardinals get a big return. There's $42 million left on Arenado's deal, and the Colorado Rockies still owe a bit.

Arenado's base salary is $27 million in 2026, per Spotrac. In the Sonny Gray trade, the Cardinals sent $20 million.

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