Why Cardinals Should Be Watching Alex Bregman's Opt-Out Closely

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of baseball’s best third basemen in Nolan Arenado but both sides have made it clear that they are open to going in a different direction this offseason.

Arenado is no stranger to trade rumors. Last year, he gave the Cardinals a list of five teams he would waive his no-trade clause for: the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the Houston Astros.

Although Arenado recently made it clear that he would be more open to expanding his list, one of the original teams from his list is worth watching closely right now. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Alex Bregman will be opting out of his contract and heading to free agency. That should raise eyebrows around St. Louis.

The Cardinals should have their eyes on the Red Sox

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

The Red Sox seemed like the most likely fit for Arenado last year, but their signing of Bregman shut that idea down. If Bregman — who had a strong 2025 season and should have a big market in free agency — were to leave Boston, then that would create a clear fit for Arenado.

Arenado is likely going to be cheaper than Bregman at this point. It's known that Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million deal, but there are just two years left on it right now. Spotrac currently has Arenado's base salary for 2026 at $27 million and his base salary for 2027 at $15 million. If the Cardinals were to trade him, there are other factors involved, like whether or not St. Louis would pick up any of the bill on the way out the door.

Bregman had a three-year, $120 million deal with Boston and now is likely going to land a long-term deal, although it's likely that the annual average is less.

Bregman is a right-handed bat who has been one of the best third basemen in recent memory. Arenado fits that description as well, although he had a down year offensively in 2025. Boston was a team Arenado was open to. The Cardinals have a connection to Boston as Chaim Bloom was the chief baseball officer over there before coming to St. Louis. Essentially, the Cardinals' front office should be rooting for Bregman to sign elsewhere, but not the Chicago Cubs.

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