(STL.News) The St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in the thick of the National League Central race in 2025, which is something that fans of the team are accustomed to.
Given the amount of star talent in the division, sports betting sites may not have expected the Cardinals to bounce back this season. As a result, trade speculation surrounding Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado has somewhat quieted down.
While discussing the possibility of moving the high-priced infielder might pick up again near the MLB trade deadline, the Cardinals should not entertain trading Arenado for three reasons.
Defensive Value
Cardinals fans who want to see Arenado shipped out of town will point to his regression offensively. That trend is hard to argue, as his home run and RBI totals have decreased each of the last four seasons. He hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in the 2025 campaign, which may be a cause for concern at the plate.
With that said, Arenado’s defensive skills are still critically important and cannot be summarily dismissed. He’s a 10-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time Platinum Glove honoree. Taking Arenado out of the hot corner at third base would significantly weaken St. Louis’ infield defense.
While his offensive production is meager at best in 2025, Arenado’s defensive presence would be nearly impossible to replace, especially midway through the MLB season.
Contract Setup
Another main reason Arenado’s name keeps coming up in trade discussions is the lengthy contract he’s on. While still with the Colorado Rockies, he signed an eight-year, $260 million deal.
While that sounds like a lucrative pact, it’s not so egregious now. This is year five of that eight-year contract, and Arenado is making $21 million this season. In 2026 and 2027, he’s set to make $16 million and $15 million, respectively, before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2028.
Arenado has played in at least 144 games in his prior four seasons with the Cardinals, so he has remained a lineup fixture day in and day out. Considering that his price tag will decrease moving forward and that he doesn’t miss games, the arrangement is not as uncomfortable as it might have seemed a year or two ago.
The Wrong Message
The Cardinals seem back on the right track after missing the playoffs in the last two seasons. That’s unusual for a franchise that is used to being in the mix almost every season.
Suppose St. Louis’ front office decided to move on from Arenado after a promising start to the season. It might indicate that management does not believe in this team’s potential to qualify for the MLB postseason. It would not be easy to send a message to a fan base that expects to be watching baseball in October.
Additionally, manager Oliver Marmol’s tenure with the club has been average. He will need all the weapons he can deploy offensively and defensively to make the case that he’s the skipper of the future.
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