Nolan Arenado is still on the team despite the St. Louis Cardinals’ attempts to trade him this offseason. The seasoned Arenado is getting ready for 2025 as the MLB regular season approaches in just three weeks.
According to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, Arenado stated, “I hope to be here on Opening Day.” (That is, until they inform me that something is happening.) After then, I suppose I will adapt. But I’m locked in till I hear that.
Since the Cardinals acquired him from the Colorado Rockies in February 2021, Arenado has been a member of the team. The recurring All-Star has amassed 16.6 WAR in 601 games throughout his four seasons in St. Louis.
During his tenure with the Cardinals, the California native has batted.271 and amassed 372 RBIs. Since 2013, the eight-time All-Star has hit 341 home homers in his career. Throughout his long MLB career, Arenado has won 10 Gold Gloves and finished in the top five for National League MVP.
The Cardinals are in a scenario that has never happened to them before. Arenado doesn’t necessarily fit with the Cardinals’ current rebuilding goals for this season.
As 2025 approaches, St. Louis hopes to give some of their younger, less seasoned players greater playing time. Arenado will take at-bats at the position that could have been shared by other players now that he is firmly established at third base. Thomas Saggese, Brendan Donovan, and Nolan Gorman are Cardinals players who could have been used at the hot corner. Instead, Gorman will move Donovan to left field and maybe remove Saggese from the active roster by playing at second base.
However, it’s difficult to believe that the Cardinals are “worse” for continuing to have a player with Arenado’s record on the team. Having a solid experienced presence on the field every day never hurts.
On March 27, the Cardinals will play the Minnesota Twins in the first game of the 2025 regular season.
