Nolan Arenado, the St. Louis Cardinals’ infielder, was one of the most sought-after trade targets this summer. However, due to his contract, Arenado was not traded. He has a lot of money remaining on his contract and a full no-trade clause, making it tough for St. Louis to transfer him.
However, this does not rule out the possibility of St. Louis finding a trading partner. According to Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, Arenado is one of the top trade chips this season, having been one of the hottest names on the market over the offseason.
“Arenado is the big one, though, and the one that was almost traded a bunch of different times this offseason,” says Miller. “The 10-time Gold Glove, eight-time All-Star, six-time Platinum Glove, and five-time Silver Slugger third baseman earns $21 million this season, $16 million in 2026, and $15 million in 2027. And, despite turning 34 later this month, Arenado is still going strong, having opened the season on a six-game hitting run with a 1.109 OPS.
“No one in their right mind expects him to continue hitting like that, but if he can bounce back even a little bit from what was just about a career-worst campaign in 2024, there would be quite a few interested parties here.” Arenado is off to a hot start this season, which might improve his trade worth significantly. A team like the New York Yankees or Detroit Tigers would undoubtedly be interested in acquiring Arenado, but he has apparently not waived his no-trade clause with either organizations.
He has allegedly authorized trades with the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, which could make sense if the Cardinals are prepared to eat more money on his contract.
