Nolan Arenado Explains Blocked Cardinals-Astros Trade

After a year of rumors and speculation, the St. Louis Cardinals were able to get a deal done this offseason to send third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arenado is one of the best third basemen in Major League Baseball and the club was fortunate to have him over the last five seasons. It's unfortunate that the Cardinals couldn't get over the hump with him manning the hot corner, but he gave the fans someone to be excited about each night over the last five seasons. He's a future Hall of Famer, but the time was right to move on. The Cardinals are rebuilding and opened a spot for a younger guy to get more playing time — like maybe No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt. Arenado now will play for a team that has legit playoff aspirations in 2026. A win-win for both sides.

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It took a while to get a deal done, but fortunately the saga is over. It almost ended last year. The Cardinals and Houston Astros were on the verge of getting a deal done last offseason, but Arenado utilized his no-trade clause to squash it. On Tuesday, he explained why that was the case on "Foul Territory."

Nolan Arenado spoke out

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

"I mean, obviously, I think when trade stuff like this comes up and you have a full no-trade, you obviously wish it doesn't come to the public but it's just going to because it is part of the business," Arenado said. "Things get shared. I have the utmost respect for Houston. I've said this so many times. They traded Kyle Tucker. [Alex Bregman] wasn't going back. There was a lot of things that I was just hesitant about at the time. I respect all of those players that are there in that organization.

"They're great. I didn't enjoy the things people were saying about me but you kind of just block it out. It's just in one ear and out the other. I know who I am. ... I think my teammates know me. People around the league know who I am. I try not show anybody up or disrespect anybody. It's my life. I have a family and I've got to make the decisions for it. It wasn't an easy one but it was the one I went with."

At the end of the day, things didn't work out last year. But it's in the past. The two sides got a deal done this winter and that's what matters.

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