The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to be very busy this offseason. They are reportedly open for business in terms of making trades, and that could include some key pieces.
The Cardinals could move on from some big contracts, but also trade some higher-value pieces such as Brendan Donovan to maximize the potential return of young pitching.
Jeff Passan of ESPN recently shed light on the Cardinals plans this offseason and who they might look to trade. There are a lot of candidates, and one of them was their star third baseman, eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover Nolan Arenado.
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Cardinals Need To Trade Nolan Arenado
Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) throws to first base for an out against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
“The Cardinals are open for business. Nolan Arenado is almost certain to waive his no-trade protection and move,” Passan reported on Tuesday.
Arenado had arguably the worst offensive season of his career in 2025, hitting just .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs, 52 RBI and a .666 OPS. The Cardinals tried to trade him last winter, but he blocked a deal to the Houston Astros and there was no further movement in his market.
This offseason, he is expected to be open to more teams, which could benefit the Cardinals. They desperately need to trade him at this point. He would prefer to play for a contender, which the Cardinals are not.
They’ll have to eat some more of his contract in order to make a deal happen, but if they are willing to do that, then they should be able to move him. They could then use Thomas Saggese or Nolan Gorman as the everyday third baseman going forward.
Donovan and Sonny Gray are also expected to be moved, but the Cardinals could shed a good chunk of salary by moving on from Arenado and sending him to a contending team.
A spot could also be cleared for top prospect JJ Wetherholt, which could give the Cardinals a little bit of a boost in their supply of younger players. The focus needs to be on the future for the Cardinals entering 2026.
That doesn’t mean they won’t make some improvements, but the time has come to move on from Arenado and find a new fit for him so that he can play with a contending ballclub for the final two years of his contract.
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