Nolan Arenado feeds off Cardinals fans' energy in quest to regain St. Louis' heart

It was a long offseason for the St. Louis Cardinals, its fanbase, and future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado

For many months, it felt as though we'd be watching him play in another city come Opening Day. Instead, Arenado donned the birds on the bat for a fifth consecutive season opener and did so not knowing what the crowd's reaction would be like toward him.

"I wasn't expecting the curtain call," Arenado said after the Cardinals' 5-3 win Thursday over the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day. "I'm actually surprised I got it. I don't think I got one last year."

That curtain call Arenado was referring to came after a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Cardinals an extra cushion for Ryan Helsley. Arenado recorded his second-best bat speed (75.5 MPH) on a home run ball since the beginning of the 2024 season, and it came off of Twins reliever Griffin Jax, who was arguably the best bullpen arm in all of baseball last season.

At least on social media, there was acceptance, and probably fair to say favor, shown toward the end of the Arenado era in St. Louis this winter from Cardinals fans. The desire for this organization to turn the page and enter into a new era of baseball is real, and that seemed to mean the end of Arenado's time with the Cardinals as well. When trades were blocked or impasses were reached, fans got frustrated with the front office, ownership, and even Arenado himself, which likely played into Arenado being unsure of what the reception toward him would be like.

Remember, Arenado did not outright request a trade from St. Louis. He was open to a deal and explored opportunities with certain teams, but he was not dying to get out of town. The Cardinals approached Arenado about a trade, and if it worked for both sides, he would have been moved.

Instead, Arenado suited up for the Cardinals, and it is safe to say that home run meant a ton to Arenado as he digs back in with the club for the time being.

"I usually don't, but today I did, and the way they cheered for me, it meant a lot to me and it got me motivated, and I was just fortunate to give them something to cheer about again," Arenado said. "Usually, they don't do curtain calls if you hit one homer, but it was a big homer."

For the first time since becoming a Cardinal, the pressure isn't actually on Arenado to perform this year. Expectations are on the young players to take steps forward and make this team their own, and Arenado's performance has more to do with getting himself back on track and potentially positioning himself for a trade at a later date. But if Arenado is able to find himself again in St. Louis, and the club plays this fun, team-centric brand of baseball, it might be tough for both sides to say goodbye.

Arenado, when pushing to get out of Colorado, had just two teams in mind — the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals. He chose those two clubs for a reason. While the Dodgers have the advantage of Southern California, which is where Areando is from, as well as a World Series contention expectation, the Cardinals boasted history, an organization that knows how to consistently win, and the chance to become a legend in a town that loves its team more than any other fanbase.

Arenado wanted to be a part of that kind of culture, and he wasn't willing to leave it this offseason for just anyone. And if things break right for him this year, Arenado may not be able to leave this town for the rest of his career. He may want to stay, the Cardinals may want him to stay, and this fanbase can easily rally around him once again.

Cardinals fans are rooting for Arenado this year, but Opening Day was a glimpse of what things could look like if both sides fully embrace each other once again. Arenado feeds off of the support of this city, and the fanbase showing him love on Thursday may spark a special turnaround from their star third baseman.

"That was a pretty nice bow on it," manager Oliver Marmol said when reflecting on the significance of that home run. "This is a guy that's worked really hard this offseason to come back and show what he's capable of doing. That's a big homer. It's probably more meaningful than people think."