Nolan Arenado's start with Diamondbacks is exactly what Cardinals fans knew would happen

The Nolan Arenado trade between the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks put an unceremonious end to the legendary third baseman's tenure in the Gateway City, as the Redbirds ate nearly 75% of his remaining salary while receiving just a mid-level pitching prospect (Jack Martinez) in return. It was a necessary step in the rebuild, but one filled with regrets.

Well, those regrets may be short-lived. While former teammates Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras tear it up in Boston, Arenado is off to the slowest start of his career in Arizona. Though the D-backs are off to a 9-7 start, prior to last night's two-home run performance against the Orioles, the 34-year-old was hitting just .180/.192/.200 in 14 games. His 7 wRC+ means that he's been 93% worse than league average at the plate this year. It's safe to say there may be more than a little buyer's remorse in that front office right now.

But Cardinals fans probably aren't too surprised by any of this; Arenado has been on a downward slope for years. That he's now seemingly fallen all the way off the cliff was just the logical next step.

Nolan Arenado's massive struggles in Arizona provide closure on disappointing Cardinals trade

The sentiment around the Arenado trade was that the Cardinals simply didn't get enough value back for their troubles. Martinez was an eighth-round pick in 2025 who is only now making his professional debut at 23 years old. Considering that the team took on so much of Arenado's salary to facilitate the deal -- the Diamondbacks only owe him $11 million combined over the next two seasons -- fans felt that the Redbirds should have gotten back a better prospect (or two).

This opening act in Arizona should quell those feelings. Arenado's bat and glove have been slipping for some time, and he's now offering net-negative value on both sides of the ball. You'd expect the 10-time Gold Glover to at least recuperate a bit of his -0.5 fWAR on defense, but even that's a dubious proposition right now.

And while he won't stick around at a 7 wRC+ forever, his Baseball Savant page is bluer than the ocean. Even his immutable strengths -- elite bat control and an ability to ward off strikeouts and whiffs -- have somehow disappeared.

There have already been calls for Arenado to hit the bench in favor of young infielder Jose Fernandez. If his slow start keeps up, that noise will only grow louder. What a precipitous fall from grace this has been for someone with serious Hall of Fame credentials.

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