The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to be one of the busiest teams in Major League Baseball this winter, especially on the trade front.
Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan are their top trade chips. They tried to trade Arenado last winter, but after he declined a deal to the Houston Astros, there was no further movement in his market.
This offseason, Arenado is again expected to be dealt, but he’ll have to be open to more teams this time around. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports predicts that Arenado will be on the move, but that he’ll end up with an unexpected team in the National League West.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
This NL West Team Could Take Arenado Off Cards’ Hands
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
Jordan Lawlar has not impressed in his limited big league team and the D-backs haven’t given him the same runway they’ve given other struggling young players (e.g. Alek Thomas), which leads me to believe they don’t want to pencil him into a starting spot next year,” Axisa wrote.
“Blaze Alexander and Tim Tawa are platoon guys more than everyday players. A heavily subsidized Arenado could be a nice little two-year stopgap for an Arizona team that has an opening at third base and could contend for a postseason berth.”
The Diamondbacks barely missed the postseason for the second year in a row, but the Wild Card race was very tight and they were right in the mix. Perhaps a piece such as Arenado would give them the push they need to make it back to October for the first time since their 2023 World Series appearance.
For St. Louis, they could finally clear a spot for top prospect JJ Wetherholt, depending on what else happens for them on the trade front. Nolan Gorman or Thomas Saggese could also have more playing time as a result.
The Cardinals are more willing to eat a bigger chunk of his salary this offseason, which should make trading him a little easier. It’s still a lot of money to eat, but they can still get out from under some of the remaining salary while also making sure that younger players get more opportunities to shine in 2026.
Arenado’s market will be interesting to watch, but he is open to more teams and the Cardinals are willing to eat more salary, then a deal should be able to happen.
More MLB: Cardinals Linked To AL West Contender In Possible Brendan Donovan Trade Scenario