Nolan Arenado is ready to make big changes to ease the trade with the Cardinals

As trade rumors surrounding St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado continue to grow in the offseason, it seems likely that this will happen as the star player looks to make some changes. While some people may say the Cardinals shouldn’t trade Arenado, the team appears to be headed for a reset, according to the latest reporting from The Athletic’s Katie Woo.

One of the changes Arenado is willing to make as part of another team trading for him is that in addition to playing exclusively third base, he would also play first base “to increase roster flexibility.” “.

“When the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in February 2021, he was overjoyed to finally join a consistent winner,” Woo wrote of the Arenado situation. “Now that the Cardinals are changing direction and considering trading Arenado, the 10-time Gold Glove winner and third baseman is willing to play first base, or at least less at third, to provide roster flexibility for a potential new one team, league sources said about his situation.

“The Cardinals are in an unconventional offseason, at least by their standards,” Woo continued. “For the first time in the 17-year tenure of longtime baseball president John Mozeliak, the Cardinals are taking a step back and will use the 2025 season as an organizational reset.”

There is interest in Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals

There have reportedly been discussions about trading Arenado since the end of last season, as St. Louis had an 83-79 record, which earned them second place in the NL Central. There were “a few teams” that could be interested, as both the star and general manager John Mozeliak were mutually open to a trade.

“The Cardinals have been exploring the potential trade market for Arenado for weeks,” Woo wrote. “These discussions, which are preliminary in nature, have not yet produced any significant progress. Still, some teams have expressed initial interest, according to a league source. As the winter meetings approach, the conversations are likely to intensify, and there is a growing sense across the industry that Arenado will be on the move.”

“The plan to trade Arenado dates back to the end of the season,” Woo continued. “With a change in the organization’s operations looming, Mozeliak met with Arenado in late September and explained that the team’s strategy was changing. According to multiple league sources, Arenado and Mozeliak were open to the possibility of a potential trade this winter. Arenado did not request a trade, but was OK with the idea when approached by Mozeliak.”

Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals prefers to go to the rival team

If the Cardinals were to trade Arenado, the third baseman would prefer to do so against a contending team as it would actually be beneficial since he would be “waiving his no-trade clause.”

“Arenado turns 34 in April and his offensive decline over the last two seasons is concerning to some in the industry, although his defense is still superior,” Woo wrote. “According to multiple league sources, he will also just waive his no-trade clause for an organization slated to compete for multiple seasons. This should come as little surprise since Arenado has only played in eight postseason games in his career and has been very open about his desire to play meaningful baseball in October.”

Arenado had a .272 batting average with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs in 2024.