Inside The Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals Facing Significant $31 Million Question

How are the St. Louis Cardinals going to handle it?
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are excepted to get third baseman Nolan Arenado back on the field as early as Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Reports surfaced on Sunday about the pending move for the Cardinals. The Athletic's Katie Woo was among the reporters who shared the news.

"Nolan Arenado will be activated off the IL Monday, the Cardinals say," Woo said.

With Arenado’s expected return, it raises some questions for the Cardinals.

How will the Cardinals handle the lineup?

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado
Jul 26, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37, left in dugout) congratulates St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) after he scored in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

Arenado hasn’t played at the big league level since July 30th. Since then, Nolan Gorman has gotten a consistent role at third base. He's hit five home runs and in 38 games played to go along with 17 RBIs, but he's batting just .198 over the stretch as well. His defense has been better-than-expected as well, including a web gem on Sunday.

With Arenado returning, it immediately raises questions about how the club will get at-bats together for their young guys, especially Gorman. Has Gorman shown enough to warrant consistent at-bats is another question as well.

This question also blends into the overall future of Arenado. After this season, he has $31 million left on his deal across two seasons, per Spotrac. That's what makes things tricky. Part of the reason he wasn't traded was because of the money that was left on his deal. Now, there's less than one year ago, but that's still a hefty chunk.

There are going to be trade rumors about him this offseason. It’s been the case for a year and will continue. So, the playing time question also is important because this upcoming stretch could be viewed as a somewhat tryout for a trade. That's speculation, but if he can play well over the next two weeks before the regular season ends, it would help his case. This upcoming stretch arguably could be the difference between a trade this offseason and sticking around to begin 2026.

How do you balance Arenado’s playing time and the young guys while taking into account the present and also the offseason?

Those are some tricky questions. Fortunately, I don’t have to make them. There have been questions about both Nolans all season and now that will get picked up over the next two weeks.

More MLB: Nolan Arenado Set for St. Louis Cardinals Return

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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