As the losses pile up for the St. Louis Cardinals, doubt is beginning to creep into the clubhouse, namely for Nolan Arenado. The standout third baseman probably wishes he had approved the offseason trade that sent him to the Houston Astros right about now. But the past is the past, and a recent interview with MLB.com's Bill Ladson highlights his focus on what lies ahead.
Arenado addressed various topics during his conversation with Ladson. Chief among them was what the future holds for him and the Cardinals. The club has been stuck in purgatory over the past several seasons and shown minimal signs of escape, and he's not getting any younger. Subsequently, questions about his long-term status in St. Louis have resurfaced, which the eight-time All-Star answered candidly.
Oddly enough, Arenado spoke like someone who doesn't have the power to control where or if he gets moved. Yet, the aging star has a full no-trade clause in his contract. We saw him use it this past winter to nix the mentioned swap with Houston; has he forgotten?
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Nolan Arenado opens up about his future with the Cardinals, seemingly forgetting he holds the cards
When asked about recently celebrating his 34th birthday and how much he has "left in the tank," Arenado sounded somewhat unsure. The veteran stayed in the moment while leaving the door open to continue an illustrious, potential Hall of Fame career.
"I don’t know," Arenado said. "I like the way I feel right now. I feel like I have a lot left in the tank. I feel I have a lot of good baseball left in me. I feel like I’m showing that now. It’s a long season, obviously."
However, Arenado might have inadvertently teased his plans to keep playing when discussing whether he's done enough to get his plaque hung in Cooperstown.
"I don’t know if I am [a Hall of Famer] or not," Arenado voice. "I feel I have a lot left in the game, so we’ll see at the end of it where I’m at."
Nonetheless, it's unclear if Arenado will get to showcase the remaining juice he has to squeeze in St. Louis. He understands the Cardinals are undoing a bit of a youth movement, which could lead to some difficult dialogue if they don't right the ship.
"Hopefully, we are winning so we can add at the [trade] Deadline," Arenado stated. "If not, I’m assuming some questions will arise."
But at the end of the day, Arenado merely wants to compete. He wants another crack at the postseason. His lack of October baseball exposure and struggles in those limited chances have him eyeing a shot at redemption.
"I want to win," Arenado declared. "I would like to play and perform in the playoffs. I haven’t had many opportunities. But the opportunities that I’ve had, I haven’t done much. I would like to get back there and hopefully play better."
If Arenado seriously wants to contend for a title, he can take matters into his hands. Does someone want to remind him?