As is often the case, fans of a sports team and upper management of that same team aren't on the same page. After a winter of St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak trying — unsuccessfully — to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado, the veteran started Sping Training still on the roster.
And fans were happy to see him! Arenado was signing autographs before the Cardinals took the field. Of course, this is a very small group of Cards fans, but the sentiment among Cardinals fans all over the place seems to be the same; they're happy to have Arenado back. The value returned in any potential trade wouldn't match his production, and they're not signing his paychecks, so why would fans be upset to see a likeable player back in the lineup?
Nolan Arenado signs for some Cardinals fans this morning at spring training after putting on a show in batting practice pic.twitter.com/RkKqvo6ZdV
— Corey Miller (@corey_miller5) February 21, 2025
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Arenado can still be a productive player in 2025
He's probably never going to be the star he once was, like when he finished top 10 in MVP voting five straight years with the Rockies, but Arenado can still play a hell of a third base and should be — at least — a slightly above league-average hitter in 2025.
Despite John Mozeliak telling the world that he loses sleep every night knowing that Nolan Arenado is still haunting his baseball team (he didn't say those words, but it's felt like that all Winter) it appears fans of the St. Louis Cardinals... are fine with keeping Arenado around. I get it, too — all trading Nolan Arenado would really do at this point is get rid of a well-liked player (and person) who actually wants to stay in St. Louis. This roster isn't close to competing for a World Series, and moving Arenado doesn't move it any closer to that end.
Once again, the wants of team executives aren't in the same world as the wants of team fans. History repeats itself, I suppose.