The Cardinals have formally made Nolan Arenado available as part of their 2025 roster “reset,” with team leadership seeking to reduce payroll and open playing time for younger players like Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, and Brendan Donovan. Arenado and his agent have conveyed that he’d be willing to move positions to help facilitate a deal to a contender. He has a full no-trade clause and must approve any proposed destination.
Multiple offseason trade talks linked the Red Sox to Arenado, with Boston showing “genuine interest” as a potential destination. Arenado reportedly told the Cardinals he’d waive his no-trade clause for Boston, a preferred landing spot given their infield need caused by injury. That scenario would likely involve shifting Rafael Devers across the diamond .
Despite discussions, Arenado blocked a potential mid‑December trade to the Houston Astros. Sources say the Cardinals were willing to eat roughly $15–20 million of his remaining $74 million contract to complete the deal, but Arenado declined, possibly due to concerns about Houston’s direction following roster moves .
Other AL suitors have occasionally surfaced in mock proposals. For instance, a hypothetical trade to the Detroit Tigers—with Detroit sending two lower-level pitching prospects in exchange—has been floated. However, Arenado has not publicly indicated openness to a move to Detroit and is said to be selective, citing family considerations and preferring only certain markets.
Another mock scenario posits a move to the Baltimore Orioles, where the Cardinals would receive a right-handed pitching prospect while potentially paying millions of Arenado’s future salary. That concept, however, hasn’t gained substantial traction publicly and remains speculative .
At present, Cardinals president John Mozeliak recently reaffirmed that Arenado is more likely than not to begin the season in St. Louis, with limited progress on trade negotiations. He noted that Arenado’s list of acceptable destinations would likely need expanding for a deal to materialize before the July 31 trade deadline.
Nolan Arenado remains under contract through 2027 with a total of $74 million owed, although the Rockies still absorb $10 million of that figure. Offensively, his production has declined in recent years, though he remains elite defensively with multiple Gold Gloves and Platinum Gloves to his credit
On the fan front, Cardinals supporters on Reddit have consistently noted that while the team may need to eat a significant portion of Arenado’s contract to facilitate a deal, Boston remains the most plausible trade partner—both due to real talks and Arenado’s apparent preference—even as critics worry about the club’s negotiation leverage.
Looking ahead, unless Arenado broadens his list of acceptable teams or the Red Sox or another contender renews concrete interest, a deal remains unlikely before the season, potentially leaving the Cardinals with a high-priced veteran on their roster despite their rebuild intent
