The St. Louis Cardinals have a big offseason ahead of them. They need to add some pitching, but also trade away some high-priced veterans in order to lower their payroll for 2026.
The most likely Cardinal to be traded appears to be Nolan Arenado, who they tried to move last offseason but couldn’t after he declined a trade to the Houston Astros. This time around, the Cardinals are willing to eat more money, which should make a trade easier.
However, Will Leitch of MLB.com presents a case for why the Cardinals should keep Arenado this offseason and not trade him.
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The Case To Keep Nolan Arenado
Sep 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) salutes the fans after he was ceremonially removed before the start of the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
“Well, that is a lot of money to eat. And trading him reduces the likelihood of him wearing a Cardinals hat on his Hall of Fame plaque,” Leitch wrote.
Ultimately, if the Cardinals do eat more money, that’s a lot to pay a player that is no longer on the roster. It makes a trade easier, but the money involved makes it complicated.
At the same time, Arenado still brings value to this team. His offensive decline has been rapid, and he had a career-worst year at the plate in 2025, hitting .237 with 12 home runs and a .666 OPS. But his defense is still among the best in Major League Baseball for third basemen.
The 34-year-old is also a veteran presence in the Cardinals young clubhouse, so having him around to help mentor the younger players would be a good idea. He would prefer to play for a contender, but the Cardinals would be a better team with him at third base instead of Nolan Gorman or Thomas Saggese.
Perhaps Arenado can bounce back from what was a truly disappointing season and show flashes of his old self in 2026. He’s got two years left of club control, and it might be hard for St. Louis to find a taker for him anyway, so it will be interesting to see what his market looks like.
Once again, that could depend on several free agents such as Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso. But there is merit to keeping him in a Cardinals uniform in 2026 and Chaim Bloom would certainly appreciate having him at the hot corner for another year.
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