4 untouchable Cardinals' players during the Winter Meetings

With the Winter Meetings having kicked off, St. Louis figures to be active in the relief and trade markets. Which players are "untouchable" in trades?

St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals
St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals | Greg Fiume/GettyImages
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Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado is the star of the team. With players such as Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Albert Pujols now retired, Nolan Arenado must step up and be the leader of the team. The future Hall of Famer must step up and fill the void of the veteran Cardinal stars.

Arenado's career is stellar. In eleven seasons, he has racked up 54.5 bWAR, he has ten Gold Gloves, six Platinum Gloves, five Silver Slugger Awards, and he has been an All-Star eight times. Nolan is a baller on both sides of the game, and St. Louis is better with him on the team. He will be the cornerstone of the roster through the 2027 season.

While Nolan Arenado by himself could bring an ace starting pitcher back to the Cardinals (see Walker Buehler), his bat and glove are best served in St. Louis. Should John Mozeliak trade Nolan Arenado a year after he opted into his contract in St. Louis and stated confidence in the team, it would send a message that he doesn't see the team as a true competitor. Additionally, Arenado holds a full no-trade clause in his contract.

Arenado is projected to have a slash line of .269/.327/.486 with 26 home runs and 88 runs batted in. While these numbers are a step below his career averages, they are better than last year's stats. Hopefully, he returns to his Gold Glove form as well. Nolan Arenado should be untouchable this offseason in most trades.

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