The Latest On Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado Trade Talks After Winter Meetings

Here is where things stand.

Jul 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) celebrates with first baseman Willson Contreras (40) after the Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Winter Meetings are now over, and though the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t make any trades, they were still active, and their offseason plans are now clear.

They are going to do a full rebuild this offseason and set themselves up for the future rather than try to contend in 2026. The stage is set for some big moves by Chaim Bloom and the front office.

The Cardinals have several trade chips, including Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. On Thursday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network revealed the latest on both players and where things stand as the offseason activity starts to heat up.

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The Latest On Contreras, Arenado

Jun 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) celebrates with first baseman Willson Contreras (40) after the Cardinals defeated the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

“Nolan Arenado is almost certain to be moved. It just seems like it’s time, and the Cardinals have acknowledged moving the contract to a place where he wants to go is an important one,” Morosi said.

“There are teams that like [Contreras] as a first baseman. I’m not necessarily sure the Mets are going to acquire him as their replacement for Pete Alonso, but you think about any team that was out there pursuing Pete, certainly Contreras is a potential alternative at that position on a relatively affordable contract.

This offseason, Arenado has expanded his list of potential destinations he would accept a trade to. While there hasn’t been much interest yet, the Cardinals are also willing to eat more money to get a deal done.

As for Contreras, teams that missed out on Alonso make sense for him. New York needs a first baseman if they want to win in 2026, and playing for a contender could be enough for him to waive his no-trade clause despite originally wanting to stay.

The Boston Red Sox were another team that was in on Alonso. The Cardinals already sent Sonny Gray there, but another possible move could happen there. 

Contreras will likely bring back a better haul given his contract. He also had a far better year than Arenado, and the Cardinals will have an easier time moving him than Arenado with less options available on the free agent market at first base and several options available at third base.

Bloom is going to be busy soon, and it will be interesting to see how things play out this offseason.

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