With spring training set to get under way, the St. Louis Cardinals have showed up to camp to discover an elephant in their clubhouse by the name of Nolan Arenado. Despite the organization spending almost the entire winter trying to deal its star third baseman, Arenado is set to begin his 2025 season with the Cardinals.
At this point, frustration and stubbornness could begetting in the way of a deal. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak seems unwilling to move Arenado unless the team acquiring him will take on a hefty amount of his massive contract or send something of value back in return. Since no one is obliging, St. Louis will just have to play through an uncomfortable environment for the time being.
As awkward as the vibe may be for the Cardinals front office and other players, Arenado himself might start feeling the heat if the 2025 season doesn't get off to a promising start. Arenado's full no-trade clause is also a major factor in why a deal cannot get done, given his restrictive list of approved teams and the fact that he exercised that right to block a trade to the Houston Astros earlier this offseason.
But while Arenado remains in limbo, at least one former Cardinals is reaching out to show his support — and make clear that St. Louis shouldn't take for granted what its third baseman brings to the table.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray's work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.
Paul Goldshmidt stands up for Nolan Arenado amid Cardinals trade saga
Neither the Cardinals nor Arenado anticipated getting to this point when he signed with St. Louis a few seasons ago. However, it seems like both parties have agreed that it would be best to go their separate ways as St. Louis leans into a bit of a rebuild (or "reset", depending on whom you ask). With Arenado being selective about his next destination and Mozeliak worried about cutting payroll, it has been impossible to find common ground. While the Cardinals' front office seems quite frankly annoyed with Arenado, former teammate Paul Goldschmidt is standing up for him.
Goldschmidt defended Arenado's right to be choosy about where he continues his career, emphasizing just how important winning is to the veteran. Being the professional he is, Goldshmidt would not elaborate on the trade rumors regarding Arenado, but raving about his competitive nature implies that he understands why Arenado is keeping his options limited when it comes to waiving his no-trade clause. It also should be a warning to Mozeliak about the impact that Arenado's absence could have on a young clubhouse.
“He’s awesome,” Goldschmidt said, via The Athletic.
“He wants to win more than anything. Playing against him, I knew that. Even playing with him. … It doesn’t matter if the team’s winning and he’s got four hits. He wants to get that fifth hit. He’s such a competitor. He makes the people around him better. I’ve seen him being a great leader in St. Louis, trying to help out his team and help out guys. Hitting, defense, all that type of stuff, he’s very willing and open to talk. He expects a lot out of himself and expects a lot about the guys around him.”
Those are pretty strong words, especially coming from as respected an elder statesman as Goldschmidt has become. Arenado is a declining player who isn't worth the money he has left on his contract. But that doesn't mean he's without value, even to a retooling team like St. Louis; he still has a lot to offer players like Nolan Gorman who figure to be key parts of the Cardinals' future, and that shouldn't be tossed away lightly.