The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly spent the entire offseason attempting to trade star infielder Nolan Arenado. With a significant amount of money remaining on his contract and the team seemingly heading into a rebuild, St. Louis has been looking for a deal.
However, Arenado’s no-trade clause has severely limited the Cardinals’ options, leaving them with little leverage in negotiations. As a result, he remains on the roster—not necessarily because the team wants to keep him, but because they have been unable to move him.
Christopher Hennessy of ClutchPoints recently predicted that Arenado will stay in St. Louis for the entire 2025 season.
“This Cardinals offseason was defined by their quest to trade Nolan Arenado,” Hennessy wrote. “His no-trade clause prevented a deal with the Houston Astros, and they couldn’t finalize a trade with any of the teams on his approved list. So, the former MVP will remain at third base in St. Louis with three years left on his contract. He will stay with the Cardinals through this season, and the drama will reignite next year.”
At this stage, a trade seems unlikely unless one of the six teams Arenado has approved (Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, or San Diego Padres) experiences a key injury at third base.
While Arenado remains a productive player, his contract is a major obstacle for contending teams, even if the trade return is minimal. As things stand, it appears highly likely he will finish the season with the Cardinals.
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