{"id":541567,"date":"2026-01-28T01:57:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T01:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/541567\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T01:57:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T01:57:18","slug":"even-nolan-arenado-was-surprised-by-st-louis-sudden-struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/541567\/","title":{"rendered":"Even Nolan Arenado was surprised by St. Louis’ sudden struggles"},"content":{"rendered":"

The St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> continue navigating a franchise reset, and recent comments from Nolan Arenado<\/a> offered revealing perspective on how abruptly the decline unfolded internally. A rebuilding phase, prolonged struggles, and the fallout from Arenado\u2019s departure now frame the organization\u2019s transition under new leadership.<\/p>\n

The former Cardinals third baseman<\/a> addressed the situation in his first major interview since leaving St. Louis, offering rare insight into expectations that ultimately never materialized.<\/p>\n

The Cards entered recent seasons confident its organizational structure would sustain long-term competitiveness, a belief that defined the franchise for decades. That confidence unraveled beginning in 2023, when a complete pitching collapse led to a last-place finish in the NL Central, followed by an offense-wide regression in 2024 that left a veteran-heavy roster unable to contend despite a winning record. By 2025, the shortcomings of that approach were undeniable, forcing a reset as aging production, roster imbalance, and stalled player development exposed systemic limitations.<\/p>\n

Arenado appeared on the popular Foul Territory TV baseball podcast in an interview later posted to X (formerly known as Twitter), where he reflected on his time with the club and admitted he did not expect<\/a> the team to fall out of contention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we were going to be good. I think the Cardinals have always found a way to be, even when on paper it may not look like they\u2019re going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nolan Arenado says he didn’t expect things to change with the Cardinals in the way they did.<\/p>\n

“I thought we were going to be good. I think the Cardinals have always found a way to be, even when on paper it may not look like they’re going to be great.” pic.twitter.com\/OSGmbtDkM1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The statement resonated because it came from a veteran accustomed to organizational stability. The Cardinals struggled offensively in 2025 and finished under .500, with injuries, aging production, and roster inflexibility compounding those issues.<\/p>\n

St. Louis pivoted soon after, trading Arenado<\/a> to the Arizona Diamondbacks while committing to a youth-driven approach. The trade now symbolizes the end of a competitive era that never fully delivered on its promise.<\/p>\n

For the Cardinals, Arenado\u2019s surprise validates the decision to reset. For fans, it confirms how quickly expectations unraveled inside one of baseball\u2019s most consistent organizations.<\/p>\n