1 of 5 | St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado hit .272 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs over 152 appearances last season. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado declined to waive his no-trade clause, blocking a swap from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Houston Astros.
Sources told MLB.com, ESPN and The Athletic about the sequence on Wednesday. Negotiations surrounding the veteran infielder continue between the MLB clubs. Advertisement
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters earlier this month that he intends to trade Arenado, but didn’t rule out a return for the slugger.
“We both remain optimistic that both parties will remain happy somehow,” Mozeliak said, according to MLB.com. “[Arenado staying] is a possibility, but I’m not sure that puts us where we want to be.
“From a financial standpoint of trying to move our payroll — there are certainly other ways to do that, but [trading Arenado] would be a big help. It’s financial, but it also creates a runway for someone else.”
Arenado, 33, received a $35 million salary over each of the last five seasons. He is set to make $32 million in 2025, $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027. Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million pact with the Rockies in 2019. They traded Arenado to the Cardinals in 2021. Advertisement
The Cardinals’ latest attempt to trade Arenado, and shed a chunk of their payroll, is part of what Mozeliak has called a “reset” for the franchise in 2025. Mozeliak also plans to step down from his role after the 2025 campaign, ending a nearly three-decade tenure with the National League franchise.
The Cardinals went 83-79 last season, but finished 20 games under .500 in 2023, their first season with a losing record since 2007. They missed the playoffs both years.
The Astros, who won the World Series just two years ago, are now looking to fill lineup holes, especially after their recent trade of All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. Astros All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman is a free agent.
