Cardinals' John Mozeliak intends to trade Nolan Arenado, expects trade soon

Major League Baseball's Hot Stove is heating up, and Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of it all.

Reports out of Dallas at MLB's Winter Meetings indicate interest surrounding Arenado, 33, is growing by the hour. Juan Soto's signing late Sunday night opened up a floodgate of rumors and activity among baseball's operational heads. Teams like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays lost out on the Soto sweepstakes, and they now have to pivot elsewhere to fill roster holes.

This has led to an increased volume of calls for St. Louis Cardinals' president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. While on with MLB Network Monday night, Mozeliak discussed the new direction of the organization. No longer are the Cardinals in meetings with player agents to discuss free agency. Rather, Mozeliak has been busy fielding calls from interested parties about his players.

Interest surrounding All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado has grown in the last few days, and it appears as though a trade is imminent, according to league sources. Mozeliak said Monday afternoon that "it's my intention to try" to trade Nolan Arenado. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the Cardinals are still looking to cut payroll, and they believe Arenado is the best way to reduce salary commitments while opening up time for young players.

Mozeliak stated that he doesn't expect a deal to be completed by the time the Winter Meetings adjourn, but he does believe Arenado will be dealt before the calendar flips to 2025. The window of opportunity appears to be within the next week and a half.

It's important to note that Nolan Arenado has not requested a trade. He has a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any trade. According to reports, however, both St. Louis and Arenado have mutual interest in finding a trade partner for the third baseman.

Arenado, 33, is coming off consecutive down years. In 2024, he finished with a .272/.325/.394 slash line to go along with only 16 home runs and 71 runs batted in. His 101 OPS+ was the lowest in his career since his rookie year, 2020 excluded. Arenado, a known pull-for-power hitter, failed to hit 20 home runs for the first time since 2014, and his 27.2% hard-hit rate was a career low for him.

Arenado's defense rebounded in 2024, as he was a Gold Glove finalist at the hot corner in the National League. He finished with nine outs above average and six defensive runs saved. While he isn't the defender he once was in his prime, he's still one of the best in the league at third base.

Arenado is owed $764 million over the next three years with $5 million being sent from the Colorado Rockies in both 2024 and 2025. The Cardinals may have to kick in some money of their own to sweeten the deal, but Arenado is still an attractive veteran for a contending team. St. Louis will seek MLB-ready players or high-end prospects in return.