Cardinals $260 Million Man Opens Door To Waive No-Trade Clause

The 2025 Major League Baseball regular season officially is over and the St. Louis Cardinals will not be moving on to the playoffs.

St. Louis finished the 2025 season with a 78-84 record on the campaign and in fourth place in the National League Central behind the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals finished ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates by seven games.

Now, the Chaim Bloom era is here and the first big question is what the team is going to do with Nolan Arenado. It’s been known that the club is going to try to trade him. Arenado has been the biggest name consistently on the trade block for a year at this point. Now, the offseason is here for St. Louis.

On Sunday, Arenado addressed his standing with the club and continued to make it clear that he will be willing to expand his approved teams list this offseason in the pursuit of a deal, as transcribed by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Where will Nolan Arenado go?

Sep 20, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a one run single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"I understand I can’t nitpick quite as much,” Arenado said as transcribed by Goold. “At the same time, I have a family. I can’t go anywhere just to go anywhere. I can’t do that. I have to make sure I make the right decision for sure, for us. ... I don’t think it’s fair for me to go, ‘I’m only going to this championship-caliber team.’ I don’t think I can do that. Who is to say that team wants me? It’s a two-way street. I understand that...

"I think it was very vital to my career, I really do (to play in St. Louis). "I think it was vital for my career to come here, and I’m happy I did. Obviously, I didn’t put up the numbers that I did in Colorado here. But I also put up my best season ever in my career here. I think I needed to show that I could play in a different place, and I feel like I did that for three years. The last few years put a little damper on some of the things I accomplished here, which I understand. But I’m proud of the things that I accomplished here. I wish I would have done more. I feel like I should have done more."

The Cardinals have been fortunate to have one of the best third basemen in baseball history over the last few years. His time in St. Louis may come to an end this winter, but at least there doesn't seem to be any bad blood on either side.

Arenado has two years left on his eight-year, $260 million deal this offseason. Will someone pick those years up?

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