Nolan Arenado's future with the Cardinals is now perplexing after a recent report

The St. Louis Cardinals are a tale of two different teams this season, sporting one of the best records in baseball playing at home, while simultaneously being historically bad away from Busch Stadium. Their poor performance on the road can be partially attributed to a miserable start to the year for the bullpen, an area of the club that has no saving grace in sight.

However, there have been some bright spots in this upsetting beginning of the season, as some young players have flourished in expanded roles and other veterans are finding their footing after a rough campaign in 2024. One such veteran is third baseman Nolan Arenado, who has shown signs of a bounce-back season with a strong start this year. After an offseason of trade rumors, Arenado has put those discussions in the rearview and has been playing like his All-Star self with Gold Glove defense to match. It would not be surprising, though, if those talks heated up as team needs become more apparent and playoff races begin to come into shape. Arenado's future with the Cardinals, then, may depend on where the team finds themselves in late July.

The Cardinals could hold onto Nolan Arenado if they are in playoff contention

John Mozeliak is in his final year as the lead decision maker for the team, and before he hands over the keys to Chaim Bloom, he may want to give October baseball one more run. Katie Woo was on a recent episode of Foul Territory, and she explained that Arenado may find himself remaining in St. Louis past this year's trade deadline. With the disclaimer that such a decision would only happen if the Cardinals were in contention, Arenado's future is just as murky as the team's transition timeline.

Any decision regarding Arenado's tenure with St. Louis will most likely take a long discussion between Mozeliak and Bloom. The third baseman's resurgence would make him an attractive trade candidate for other teams around the league who need another piece for their own playoff run. With his current bounce-back season, his trade value is probably higher than it was during the offseason and could continue to rise if he stays on his current trajectory. So far in 2025, Arenado has a higher OPS than last season while sporting what would be career-best numbers for walk and strikeout rates. However, he has continued to be sapped of power but has seen an increase in his bat speed over past years.

Even if the numbers are not overwhelming, Arenado looks to be a different player than he was last year, playing with more energy and excitement while getting back to his elite defensive ways. On Opening Day, Arenado hit a home run after receiving a big ovation, and during the recent series against the Brewers, he was the hero in two Cardinals wins. His outstanding defensive play in a 3-2 win was one of the best of his career, and he followed that up with a walk-off home run the next day.

If Arenado were to hit the trade market again, he is seemingly unwilling to expand the teams on his no-trade list, but the Dodgers and Yankees still appear to have needs at the hot corner. His availability, though, will become clearer as the season progresses into the summer.