"Nolan Arenado unlikely to return to St. Louis" - MLB insider confident despite limited fits for 8x All-Star due to massive salary, no-trade clause
Eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado seems to be on his way out of the St. Louis Cardinals. That is, at least, the most widely accepted report so far in the offseason, given the third base star's massive contract attached with a no-trade clause.
In The Baseball Insider's podcast, featuring MLB insider Robert Murray and FanSided's Adam Weinrib, the duo discussed the realistic chances of Arenado returning to the Cardinals and what could be a possible shift to first base.
Murray stated his opinions about Nolan Arenado and possible options for the eight-time Gold Glover:
"We'll see if a trade ultimately does happen but my feel as of right now is that he's unlikely to return to St. Louis."
"He is indeed open to moving to first base as Katie Woo of The Athletic reported. To me it makes sense, because if you look at Arenado his declining production his salary is very [very very] high and he's also got a no trade clause (a full no trade clause) which significantly limits the amount of suitors that are going to be on him and he also plays third base."
"I mean a lot of teams need third basemen but if you end up adding first base to his arsenal, that's going to at least get maybe one or two more teams at least kicking the tires. Who knows what can end up happening from there."
After eight years with the Colorado Rockies, Nolan Arenado was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for a slew of players, along with a $51 million compensation paid to the Cards in 2021.
The star third baseman was in the second year of his eight-year, $260 million contract at that point. However, Arenado had options on his contract for an opt-out and a full no-trade clause, which makes his deal an unattractive one for budget-limited teams.
Nolan Arenado's embattled 2024 season
For the first time in his career, Nolan Arenado has failed to win either a Gold Glove or be named an All-Star at the conclusion of the year. Arenado mightily struggled at the plate with a .272/.325/.394 slashline, along with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs.
It was the third baseman's lowest and second-lowest total home run and RBI tally (apart from the shortened 2020 season) since his rookie campaign, respectively.
With a massive contract and restrictive clauses, it would be interesting to see where the multiple-time Platinum Glover lands ahead of the 2025 season.