St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has been the subject of an ongoing trade saga. The eight-time MLB All-Star has been looking to join a World Series contender, but executing such a move remains complex. Arenado has a full no-trade clause in his eight-year, $260 million contract, which runs through 2027 and includes deferred payments until 2041 (via Spotrac). In December, the 10-time Gold Glove winner declined a trade to the Houston Astros (per MLB.com). Since then, Houston’s longtime third baseman Alex Bregman has signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, further reducing Arenado’s potential destinations and increasing the chances he stays in St. Louis for the 2025 season.
On Dec. 10, John Denton of MLB.com reported that Arenado had narrowed his list of preferred trade destinations to six teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets. However, the Mets have a rising star at third base in Mark Vientos and have already spent over $1 billion in contracts this offseason (via Spotrac, h/t Joe Schad of Palm Beach Post), making them an unlikely landing spot despite being on Arenado’s list. With no significant trade developments, Cardinals president John Mozeliak told reporters on Thursday that Arenado is expected to remain with the team through Opening Day.
Following the update, Arenado shared a three-word message on Instagram signaling his plans to report for Spring Training: “Bye OC, Florida.”
Arenado, a native of Orange County, California, spends his offseason there but is now preparing to rejoin the Cardinals in Florida. The six-time Platinum Glove winner is coming off a 2024 season where he posted a .719 OPS over 152 games—the lowest mark since his rookie year with the Colorado Rockies.