When the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in February 2021, he was overjoyed to finally join a consistent winner. Now, as the Cardinals shift directions and contemplate trading Arenado, the 10-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman is willing to play first base, or at least less at third, to create roster flexibility for a potential new team, league sources briefed on his situation say The Cardinals are in an unconventional offseason, at least for their standards. For the first time in long-time president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s 17-year tenure, the Cardinals are taking a step back and will use the 2025 season as an organizational reset.
Of all the impending decisions Mozeliak must now consider, the most pressing is what to do with his third baseman.
The Cardinals have been exploring Arenado’s potential trade market for weeks. Those conversations, preliminary in nature, have yet to yield any substantive progress. Still, a few teams have expressed initial interest, per a league source. As the winter meetings approach, talks are likely to intensify, and there is a growing sense throughout the industry that Arenado will be on the move.
The plan to trade Arenado dates to the end of the season. With a change in the organization’s operations on the horizon, Mozeliak met with Arenado in late September.
