The trade market for St. Louis Cardinals’ star third baseman Nolan Arenado is heating up.
Despite this, teams like the New York Yankees should tread carefully when considering taking on Arenado’s hefty contract, especially given his recent struggles at the plate and newfound openness to changing positions.
Outgoing Cardinals president of baseball operations, John Mozeliak, has clarified that while Arenado hasn’t requested a trade, he is open to listening to offers.
Why has trade talk for the Cardinals and Nolan Arenado been silent?
Nolan Arenado is nearing the conclusion of his nine-year, $275 million contract. Now 34, he is set to earn $32 million this season. Both Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals endured disappointing campaigns in 2023 and 2024.
In 2024, Arenado posted a .272/.325/.394 slash line with a .719 OPS, hitting 16 home runs, scoring 70 runs, and driving in 71 RBIs while adding two stolen bases. While these numbers are respectable, they fall short of expectations for a player of Arenado’s caliber, especially considering his $35 million salary last season.
With Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt both underperforming, it’s understandable that the Cardinals are reassessing their strategy. Instead of investing heavily in declining veterans, they could pivot toward cultivating a roster of promising young talent with room to grow.
Yankees should be wary of Nolan Arenado, especially with willingness to switch positions
Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required) reported that Nolan Arenado is “willing to play first base, or at least reduce his time at third, to provide roster flexibility for a potential new team.” While Arenado has exclusively played third base throughout his career, earning 10 Gold Gloves and multiple All-Star appearances, this willingness to switch positions may only appeal to teams with a long-term solution at third base. However, it raises a key question: why would such teams target Arenado?
The Yankees’ depth chart lists Jazz Chisholm Jr. as their starting third baseman, with Oswaldo Cabrera and D.J. LeMahieu as backups. Meanwhile, first base is vacant with Anthony Rizzo entering free agency, though Cabrera and LeMahieu are capable of filling the role, and Chisholm is versatile enough to cover the middle infield.
Given their roster flexibility and abundance of young, versatile talent, it wouldn’t make sense for the Yankees to sacrifice that depth—plus promising young pitchers—for a veteran nearing the twilight of his career and learning a new position.
While the Cardinals aim to embrace a youth movement, they may find themselves holding onto Arenado for a few more seasons. Teams are unlikely to part with young assets for a player with a hefty contract and diminishing returns. For the Yankees, the prudent move would be to stay clear, as the signs strongly suggest Arenado isn’t worth the investment.
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