Former Cardinal's sluggish start has fans pleading for fresh blood at the hot corner

For the first time in his illustrious career, Nolan Arenado could be on the outside looking in — at least if many Arizona Diamondbacks fans have anything to say about it.

St. Louis Cardinals fans are familiar with Nolan Arenado's drastic drop-off in production over the past few years. In 2025, the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award recipient had one of the worst seasons in his career, hitting .237 with a .666 OPS, and his defensive numbers declined from elite to merely above average. The Cardinals embarked on an epic saga to rid themselves of his bloated contract, finally dumping him off on the Diamondbacks, who are paying $11 million of the $42 million remaining on his two-year contract, with the Cardinals eating the other $31 million.

Arenado's start with Arizona hasn't gotten off the ground thus far, as he has just two hits in 16 at-bats. On March 31, Arenado rode the bench in favor of rookie Jose Fernandez, who had a game to remember in his major league debut. In Arenado's stead, Fernandez blasted two home runs, with his second off of future Hall of Fame closer Kenley Jansen.

Fernandez's historic coming-out party has Diamondbacks fans calling for Arenado's job.

Fernandez had a decent 2025 season in Double-A, hitting .272 with 17 home runs, and he opened eyes in spring training, holding a .280 average and an .840 OPS while swatting three home runs. After placing first baseman Pavin Smith on the injured list, Arizona gave Fernandez the call, and following his once-in-a-lifetime debut, many Diamondbacks fans believe the clock has already run out on the incumbent Arenado.

Although Fernandez impressed massively during spring and in his debut, it's far too early for Arizona to christen Fernandez as the new third baseman. Spring training is not a reliable indicator of success on the season, and although he had a game for the ages, pitchers are likely to adjust soon to the young hitter. Fernandez is also far from a top prospect whom the Diamondbacks would consider as a core piece for their future. MLB Pipeline rates him as the team's No. 27 prospect, predicting an ultimate role for him as a bench bat who plays mostly against left-handed pitchers.

Fernandez is strong in the field; he mostly played shortstop during his time in the minor leagues while standing in at third base a handful of times. This has led some fans to clamor for Arenado to move to first base and potentially receive a demotion to a bench role entirely when Smith returns. It would be a tough pill to swallow for the man who has dazzled at third base since his debut in 2013. but the Diamondbacks are unlikely to pull the plug on him.

The season is incredibly young, and fans can't expect current statistics to stand pat for the entire year. Arenado is unlikely to approach his old career norms in production, but the contract plays, even in its relatively insignificant price on Arizona's end, and fans shouldn't expect their team to hand the keys to a still-unproven 22-year-old.

Recency bias is hitting Diamondbacks fans like a semi truck right now, and although the small sample size is tantalizing, Arizona will mostly likely send Fernandez back to Triple-A in deference to Smith, where he played only one game last season after a promotion from Double-A. Arenado may not be the future in the desert, but contrary to what many fans might think at the moment, he's probably their best option for 2026 as Fernandez gets his feet wet at the highest minor league level to become more than just a flash in the pan.

It's been a drastic decline for the Cooperstown-bound third sacker, and Cardinals fans may be wincing at Arenado's slow start to the season and opposing fans' desire to remove him. Arenado could be on borrowed time, but if the Diamondbacks are sensible, he'll remain in the lineup on a near-daily basis until Fernandez or someone else breaks the door down.