Nolan Arenado deserves a hearty ovation from the Cardinals faithful on Opening Day

Nolan Arenado has been the focal point of the offseason for the St. Louis Cardinals and the subject of countless trade rumors amid President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak's public statements about his efforts to deal Arenado while abiding by the limitations enforced by his no-trade clause.
But as no teams have shown interest in taking Arenado at the Cardinals' demands, it looks increasingly likely by the day that he will remain with the Cardinals at least for Spring Training, if not throughout most of all of the 2025 season.

But while many fans may not be happy about Arenado's presence on the roster, he should receive a rousing round of applause on Opening Day.

Arenado displayed a fondness and a reverence for the Cardinals from day one. When negotiating trade destinations with his former team, the Colorado Rockies, after the 2020 season, Arenado allowed the Cardinals to be one of the few teams that he would waive his no-trade clause to play for. The trade ended up being a steal for St. Louis, as the most "valuable" piece they ended up sending away was Austin Gomber, who has carried a 5.08 ERA in four seasons with Colorado. Colorado was also forced to eat a significant portion of Arenado's salary, paying $50 million of the $199 million that had remained on Arenado's contract.

Arenado had clearly heard of the environment at Busch Stadium and believed the Cardinals had a strong chance to compete in October. After putting on the hallowed birds on the bat, Arenado got down to business, hitting 34 home runs and playing his usual outstanding defense at third base. In 2022, he had one of the best seasons of his career, hitting .293 and holding a career-high OPS+ of 151. The Cardinals made it to the postseason both of those years but were quickly whisked out of the playoffs. And while Arenado did not help the Cardinals' cause, going 1-for-12 in those two Wild Card series combined, his performance in the regular season was a large part of what led the Cardinals to clinch those postseason berths.

Although the Cardinals were one and done in both 2021 and 2022, Arenado did not exercise his opt-out clauses following either of those seasons. After his banner 2022 season, he almost certainly could have received more money on the open market, but he wanted to remain in St. Louis and has not shown an especially strong desire to leave even after the team missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Arenado didn't perform up to his usual standards in 2023 and 2024, but the team's subsequent decision to reset was not because of him; it stemmed from an organization-wide collapse by a club that had become too set in the old ways of baseball.

Through all of the drama in the offseason, Arenado has been a class act. He could have taken the Rafael Devers path and grown bitter with the team, but he has remained positive and cordial. In an interview after he reported to the team's camp in Jupiter, Florida, Arenado said that he would have loved if the Cardinals had gone all-in on the season, but he acknowledged that the retool is probably what is best for the current state of the franchise.

Supporters of the Cardinals didn't earn the "Best Fans in Baseball" moniker by accident: Members of the team have long lauded the fans for their passion for the sport and their knowledge of the game. With that in mind, fans should recognize Arenado's contributions to the Cardinals and be aware that he is not at fault for the infrastructure that has crumbled around him. So on Opening Day against the Minnesota Twins, those who pledge allegiance to the Cardinals should provide a healthy round of applause for the man who has demonstrated that same amount of loyalty over the past four seasons.