Cardinals Unveil Strategy to Exchange All-Star Third Baseman Nolan Arenado

The St. Louis Cardinals are planning to rebuild, which will likely result in the departure of third baseman Nolan Arenado.

At the winter meetings in Dallas, John Mozeliak, the club's president of baseball operations, announced this on Monday.

Arenado, who is 33 years old, is currently under contract until 2027, with a salary of $32 million in 2025, $27 million in 2026, and $15 million in 2027.

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Mozeliak stated, "(Keeping Arenado as a Cardinal) is a possibility, but I'm not sure it aligns with our goals. There are other ways to reduce our payroll, but trading Arenado would be a significant help. It's not just about finances, but also creating opportunities for others."

He added, "These decisions are not made lightly. Arenado is not demanding a trade, but for the benefit of both parties, I would like to find him a new team."

However, the chances of this happening are slim due to the large amount of money Arenado is owed and his full no-trade clause. Although he did waive this clause when he was traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Cardinals in February 2021, he received significant financial incentives for doing so.

Mozeliak acknowledged, "The no-trade clause makes things more complicated, but we have had open discussions and understand the potential outcome."

Arenado's performance in 2024 was not up to his usual standards, as he did not make the National League All-Star team or win a Gold Glove for the first time in his 12-year career. He is an eight-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glove winner, and has placed in the top eight for NL Most Valuable Player six times.

In 2024, Arenado had a batting average of .272, an on-base percentage of .325, a slugging percentage of .394, 16 home runs, and 71 RBIs in 152 games. These were his lowest home run and RBI totals in 10 years, excluding the shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19.

Throughout his 12-year career, Arenado has a batting line of .285/.342/.515, with 341 home runs and 1,132 RBIs in 1,680 games.

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The Cardinals finished the 2021 season with a record of 83-79, tying for second place in the NL Central but failing to make the playoffs.