Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals have been trying to move All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado this winter to no avail. It appears very likely that he will be on the Cardinals’ roster to start the 2025 season. This obviously interferes with the organization’s plans to cut costs and give younger players a shot to prove themselves.
Boston Signs Bregman
The Red Sox finally added a third baseman, but it wasn’t the one the Cardinals’ front office was hoping for. They signed top free agent Alex Bregman to a three-year, 120 million dollar contract. It seems that Boston may have been using the Arenado trade talks as leverage in negotiations with Bregman. With Bregman now off the board, Arenado is the top third baseman still available. However, the slick fielding third baseman has a pretty short list of teams that he is willing to approve a trade to.
Arenado Trade Is Looking Less Likely
Based on recent comments by Cardinals’ outgoing President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, it’s looking more likely that Arenado will be opening the season as the Cardinals’ starting third baseman. According to MLB.com’s John Denton, Mozeliak said that Arenado will need to expand his acceptable list of destinations if he wants to be moved.
“I think it would have to open a little bit more, yes,” Mozeliak said. “We’ve exhausted the others.
Additionally, the Belleville News-Democrat’s Jeff Jones reported that the Cardinals expect Arenado to start the season with the team.
“I think the mindset right now is that he’s likely going to be a part of our club at this point,” Mozeliak said. “I definitely feel like it’s a better chance than not.”
None of this should be a surprise to anyone. Over a month ago, it was reported that the team’s efforts to find a trade partner had not been going as planned. Arenado’s list is a short one, and none of them have panned out so far. The Dodgers are happy with Max Muncy at third. Additionally, the Yankees weren’t willing to take on as much of his contract as the Cardinals wanted, and the Padres have financial constraints that are preventing them from adding another large contract. Boston was the last hope, and with the addition of Bregman, they are out of the picture.
Decline and Salary Stalls Trade Talks
The All-Star third baseman is understandably picky about where he ends up. He is interested in winning. However, he may have overestimated his market. The Cardinals aren’t interested in eating a large part of his contract either. It’s likely they would be willing to pay a small portion of the contract, but it wouldn’t make sense financially for them to take on a large chunk. He is still owed 74 million on his current deal, with the Rockies still on the hook for 10 million of that.
The amount owed to Arenado is a roadblock, but his recent decline is the bigger issue. He looked a step slower on defense, and the power just wasn’t there during the 2024 season. The 33 year old slugger had only 16 homeruns and 71 RBI’s to go along with a .271 average. These aren’t awful numbers, but they’re not good enough for his price tag. If the veteran slugger wants to play for someone besides the Cardinals, he may have to be more open-minded
Arenado’s Presence Throws Wrench in Plans
With the most likely scenario being Arenado starting the season with the Cardinals. The team will have to rework some of their plans with players like Nolan Gorman. The young infielder was most likely slated to get a long look at third base this upcoming season. It is his natural position, and it would have been his chance to prove himself after a rough 2024 season. With Arenado still around, it will likely push him back to second base. A move that could cut down on top prospect Thomas Saggese’s playing time or force Brendan Donovan back to the outfield. This will also cut into the playing time of young players like Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II. Arenado’s presence affects the team’s plans at nearly every position.
It’s unfortunate that a storied organization like the Cardinals has ended up in a situation like this. They completely wasted having arguably the best corner infielder combo in the majors by refusing to put together a strong team around them. The front office’s ineptitude got them to this point, and the Cardinal fan’s only hope is that Chaim Bloom can turn things around when he takes over completely.
