The St. Louis Cardinals have explored trade options for Nolan Arenado this offseason, but the veteran third baseman remains on the roster. With the MLB regular season just three weeks away, Arenado has provided key update for the 2025 campaign.
Arenado has been with St. Louis since the team acquired him from the Colorado Rockies in February 2021. Over four seasons with the Cardinals, the eight-time All-Star has accumulated 16.6 WAR across 601 games.
The California native has posted a .271 batting average with 372 RBIs during his tenure in St. Louis. Over his career, which began in 2013, he has hit 341 home runs, earned 10 Gold Gloves, and finished in the top five of NL MVP voting four times.
“My expectation is to be here on Opening Day,” Arenado told Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “Until they tell me something’s going on, then I guess I will adjust. But until I hear that, I’m locked in.”
The Cardinals find themselves in an unfamiliar situation as they enter a rebuilding phase, a direction in which Arenado may not fully align. The team is prioritizing opportunities for younger, less experienced players in 2025. With Arenado holding down third base, potential at-bats for players like Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, and Thomas Saggese are limited. As a result, Gorman will play second base, shifting Donovan to left field and potentially leaving Saggese off the active roster.
However, keeping a player of Arenado’s caliber is far from a detriment. His leadership and daily presence on the field remain valuable assets for St. Louis.
The Cardinals will kick off their 2025 season on March 27 against the Minnesota Twins.