Chaim Bloom draws line in the sand on Nolan Arenado's future with Cardinals

After the team shipped off Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado remains the most obvious trade candidate on the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran third baseman has two years remaining on his current deal and can offer a contending team some stability at the hot corner, even if his bat continues to decline.

His profile — which yielded an 84 wRC+ and six Defensive Runs Saved in 2025 — should be attractive enough to fetch some suitors on the trade market, even if the $37 million he's owed pushes away some smaller-market teams.

There's obviously no guarantee that a deal to Bloom's liking materializes, which could put the Cardinals in a similarly awkward state as last offseason, when Arenado refused to waive his no-trade clause for a deal to the Houston Astros.

Still, even if that happens, the team isn't willing to part with Arenado for anything less than their perceived value, as Jeff Jones from the Belleville News-Democrat confirmed after Day 1 of the Winter Meetings.

Cardinals will not release Nolan Arenado, waiting for best trade offer

The Winter Meetings are underway, which are usually a good time to get the wheels greased on a move like this. The Cardinals were able to jump the gun by trading Gray to the Boston Red Sox, but for the most part, this is the time of year when front offices are able to get together and hash out deals for star players.

St. Louis is right to be stubborn with Arenado; he may no longer be an MVP candidate or Gold Glove lock, but he remains a strong defensive third baseman and posted a 105 wRC+ between 2023 and 2024. That's a player that has value, even at 34 years old.

Still, even with the right attitude and setting, Bloom and company may have to be patient. There are other superstar infielders available this offseason, including Pete Alonso, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, and Alex Bregman in free agency. That fails to mention trade candidates like Ketel Marte and even the Cardinals' own Brendan Donovan, a pair of All-Stars who should command huge prospect returns for their respective teams.

That makes Arenado something of a consolation prize, but he's a darn good one at that. Like the Astros last winter, some team will surely miss out on their top third base target and come calling.

The Cardinals just need to wait until that moment comes. Releasing Arenado isn't on the table — nor should it have been.