Nolan Arenado Talks Astros Trade Veto, Says Kyle Tucker Deal Made Him 'Uncomfortable'

Nolan Arenado could have suited up for a new team this season, but the St. Louis Cardinals' third baseman vetoed a potential trade to the Houston Astros.

Ahead of the Cardinals' series against the Astros this week, Arenado opened up about the trade, saying Houston's approach to the offseason made him "uncomfortable" after the team traded Kyle Tucker.

“I think a lot of fans think I just said ‘no’ because I think they’re bad, which is obviously false and not true,” Arenado said, per The Athletic's Chandler Rome. “For me to get my family to leave St. Louis at that point in the offseason, with how everything transpired with the trades and all that, it made me a little uncomfortable.”

Arenado said his decision to veto that Astros trade also had to do with the timing of things. Houston wanted an answer quickly, but Arenado wanted to see how things played out before he OK'd the move.

“I respect the Astros because they can’t just wait for me to make my decision,” Arenado said. “They have to move on and they have to make their team better, which they did. They got (Christian) Walker and they did some other things. I can see how it was taken as ‘no,’ but they know I didn’t say ‘no.’ It was more of, ‘I need to see how this all plays out first.’”

Arenado will be 34 later this week and likely preferred to be traded to a team that can win now rather than a rebuilding squad like the Cardinals. Ultimately, he felt packing it up and moving to Houston wouldn't have been the best decision at this point in his career.

What's next for Arenado remains to be seen. He's under contract with St. Louis through the 2027 season, but with the Cardinals committing to a young roster, they could try to move him soon after failing to do so this offseason.

For now, Arenado will look to continue playing his best baseball and serving as a veteran presence on a young team. Through 15 games this year, Arenado has a pair of home runs and nine RBI with a .316 batting average.