Nolan Arenado wants to make his final games with the Cardinals memorable

Much like the end of the 2024 season, Nolan Arenado is well aware of the St. Louis Cardinals' plans to shop him this offseason, and he's hoping to make fans proud this weekend as he plays his final games in front of the home supporters.

No, it's not a guarantee yet that the Cardinals find a deal for Arenado this offseason, one that he also has to sign off on, but with the way both sides have approached this situation, it sure seems like Arenado and Chaim Bloom will end up finding a match for the future Hall of Famer before spring training rolls around.

Earlier this week, when Arenado was activated from the injured list, the Cardinals' third baseman was open about how he knew this could be his final goodbye as a member of the organization that he pushed to come to in 2021 and chose to stay with when he had an opportunity to opt out in 2022.

When talking to reporters on Friday, Arenado once again acknowledged that these may be his final games as a home player in front of Cardinals fans, and he was eager to give them a nice finale to his time wearing the Birds on the Bat.

"“I definitely come to the ballpark with it in mind – this could be the last time playing at home, and thinking about it,” Arenado said late Friday night in the Cardinals clubhouse. “At the same time, I have a job to do. I would like to go out there and compete, have good at-bats, play some good defense, and at least give them something good to remember.”"

Nolan Arenado (Derrick Goold, STL Today)

Nolan Arenado wants to give Cardinals fans something to remember this weekend

Arenado already made good on that hope in game one of the three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend, hitting a bases-clearing double that helped propel the Cardinals to a victory on Friday night.

Most of us following the team understand and support the need to move on from Arenado this offseason, but it sure is bittersweet watching moments like that and feeling like the Arenado era in St. Louis was cut rudely short. A lot of that has to do with his own regression offensively, but it is also hard not to be frustrated by the lack of team success around him during his time in St. Louis.