Nolan Arenado Trade Rumors: 'Growing Sense' Cardinals Move Star amid MLB Free Agency

As the St. Louis Cardinals have already indicated they intend to cut back on payroll next season after a disappointing 2024, Nolan Arenado's future with the organization appears to be very much in doubt.

Per The Athletic's Katie Woo, there is a "growing sense" among people in MLB that Arenado will be traded at some point this offseason.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported earlier this month that the Cardinals were "unsure" of what their payroll budget for next season would be amid uncertainty about the local television rights deal with Diamond Sports Group.

Last season also marked the first time since 2003 that the Cardinals failed to draw at least 3 million fans to Busch Stadium in a full season when max capacity was allowed. (They drew 2.1 million fans in 2021, but stadium capacity was limited for the first two months of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

The Cardinals' payroll for next season is currently projected to be $137.7 million. That's down from $192.8 million in cash spending on the 2024 roster. The biggest cut was the expiring contract for Paul Goldschmidt, who earned $26 million last season.

They also declined team options for Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Kenyan Middleton that saved an additional $29 million in 2025.

Goold added the Cardinals are open to trading Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, but trading either could be difficult since they both have full no-trade clauses in their contracts.

Arenado also has a full no-trade clause and is owed $52 million over the next three seasons. Woo noted Arenado and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak discussed the possibility of a trade near the end of the season, and Arenado was "agreeable" to the idea without demanding to be dealt.

An eight-time All-Star, Arenado is coming off a down year in 2024. He hit .272/.325/.394 with 16 homers and 71 RBI in 152 games. His .719 OPS was his lowest in a season since he was a rookie with the Colorado Rockies in 2013.