Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Poised To Retain Nolan Arenado As Trade Grows 'Harder To Complete'

St. Louis is running out of time to move the fan favorite
Nate Hagerty|
Oct 3, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 3, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals' top priority is to find a trade partner for superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado but with Opening Day nearby, it's starting to look as if he won't be moved.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is tasked with beginning an organizational rebuild and finding Arenado's next landing spot in his final offseason as head honcho. Unfortunately, doing so has been easier said than done.

As time passes, the odds of Arenado being traded this winter grow slimmer. According to recent comments from an insider, the Cardinals don't have much time left to make a move.

"The Cardinals are still attempting to trade Arenado and will attempt to do so throughout camp if a deal is not consummated in the coming days," Belleville News-Democrat's Jeff Jones wrote Monday morning. "The reality of the business, though, makes a trade harder to complete the closer the calendar ticks down to Opening Day. Early in the season, teams are seeking to evaluate their own rosters, and the significant and complicated financial commitment to Arenado makes it tougher to trade in season than the average player."

Arenado's contract has three years and $74 million remaining -- $10 million will be paid by his former team, the Colorado Rockies.

After logging one of the worst seasons of his career at the plate in 2024, Arenado's trade value plummeted, forcing teams to second-guess whether trading for the five-time Silver Slugger is worthwhile.

Hopefully, once former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is signed, Arenado's trade market will clear. There's no telling where the Cardinals' 10-time Gold Glove defender will play in 2025 but for now, it's with St. Louis.

More MLB: Cardinals-Yankees Trade Scenario Sends Gold Glover To NY In Shocking Deadline Move

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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