The St. Louis Cardinals finished the 2025 season with a record of 78-84 and fell short of the postseason for the third consecutive year.
They tried to trade Nolan Arenado before the season, but after he blocked a trade to the Houston Astros, there was no further movement in his market and he was forced to stay in St. Louis. But this offseason, the Cardinals should be able to get it done.
Mike Petriello of MLB.com named the top trade fits around Major League Baseball for the eight-time All-Star, and among top two was an NL West contender, which has a need at third base.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Could Help Fix Nolan Arenado Issue
Sep 16, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Blaze Alexander against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Diamondbacks traded Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners at the deadline and their internal options didn’t help them much. But the Cardinals could help them out by giving them Arenado.
Arizona currently is on a better path than St. Louis and will likely remain in contention in 2026 while the Cardinals rebuild. Arenado has been open about wanting to play for a contender, but has also said he is willing to expand his list of possible destinations.
The Cardinals also seem willing to eat more of his salary, which should make it much easier to get a deal done. That was part of what held the Cardinals up last offseason, as they were essentially hoping to make it a salary dump.
But even if they take on more money, they can still get out from under some of that contract and clear some payroll space, opening the door for other potential additions in free agency.
Arenado hit .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs, 52 RBI and a .666 OPS, putting together his worst career season at the plate.
The Diamondbacks finished close to the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card race, but an addition like Arenado could help propel them into the conversation for 2026 and keep them relevant over the next two years.
Arenado is a free agent after the 2027 season, and the Cardinals clearly don’t have much room for him on the roster with some younger players emerging. We’ll see if Arizona takes him off their hands.
More MLB: Cardinals Drawing Trade Interest In Trusted Veteran Reliever, Per Insider