The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of Major League Baseball’s biggest surprises this season. Although the Chicago Cubs got off to a strong start, the Cardinals remain just three games out of first place in the NL Central and sit four games above .500 at the time of writing.
The roster is a mix of emerging young talent and seasoned veterans such as Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado. However, Arenado has underperformed in 2025, making it in the Cardinals’ best interest to trade him as soon as possible.
The front office, led by John Mozeliak and Chaim Bloom, is well aware of this and has made multiple attempts to move Arenado. At one point, they had a trade lined up with the Houston Astros, but Arenado declined, invoking his no-trade clause.
That clause has been a consistent obstacle for the Cardinals, as it limits their options. Teams like the Detroit Tigers—currently boasting the best record in baseball—have shown interest, but aren’t among Arenado’s approved destinations.
Meanwhile, the Yankees and Red Sox, both previously linked to Arenado, have moved on to other options. This makes Arenado’s underwhelming performance—highlighted by a .695 OPS and a .242 batting average with minimal power production—all the more frustrating for St. Louis.
Cardinals reach a breaking point with Nolan Arenado
The Cardinals recently dropped Nolan Arenado in the batting order due to his ongoing struggles at the plate. Though he’s still a reliable defender in the St. Louis infield, his offensive production has been lacking this season. And Arenado himself isn’t sugarcoating it.
“We changed the lineup because the guys ahead of me are performing well, and the ones behind me deserved to move up,” Arenado explained. “That’s really all there is to it.”
Arenado holds himself to a high standard. As a former NL MVP, he’s seen his home run numbers steadily decline since leaving Coors Field, and now he’s hardly seen as a power threat. The dip in performance is clearly affecting his confidence.
“I don’t really have an explanation. I just need to play better—more like the player I know I can be,” he admitted. “But it’s been a while since I’ve felt like that guy. I’m not sure if I’ll get back there.”
That kind of honesty likely isn’t what Cardinals fans hoped to hear, and it sheds light on why the team explored trading him before the season, while he still held some trade value.
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