Cardinals Exec Reveals How Nolan Arenado's Return Will Impact Future Spending

The St. Louis Cardinals exhausted all their possible trade destinations for superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado and are now faced with the reality that he likely isn't going anywhere.

In what's supposed to be a cost-cutting offseason for the club after Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak hit the organizational reset button, Arenado represents the cream of the crop -- three years and $64 million remaining on his deal.

Considering St. Louis seems out of options for finding an Arenado trade, some have speculated that the Cardinals will look to upgrade the big-league roster by poaching from what's left of the free-agent market. Those rumors shouldn't be taken too seriously.

"'We didn't get to a place where he's no longer a Cardinal, so he's certainly welcomed back,' Mozeliak said," as transcribed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold on Sunday. "'And I think simply put: With Nolan on our team we feel we're a better team. From today moving forward it's about him playing baseball, him being a ballplayer, and us trying to move forward with what this club is going to look like.'"

Trading Arenado has been the Cardinals' top priority all offseason. Unfortunately, several factors, including his high price tag, have rendered his trade market nearly silent -- with the exception of a failed Houston Astros transaction.

"Mozeliak had previously said he did not expect Arenado's return to the clubhouse to then trigger some shopping for free agents to augment the roster," Gool continued. "Mozeliak said Sunday there is no pressure on him to seek out trades for players elsewhere on the roster to continue trimming costs."

Although the Cardinals will likely have a potential future Hall of Fame candidate at third base in 2025 and a roster similar to 2024, St. Louis' front office won't feel obliged to bolster the big-league roster via free agency. Mozeliak would rather see homegrown players contribute to the team's success this year.

This upcoming season will be led by a few veterans, such as Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, while the youth-laden Cardinals roster hopes to shock people and gain crucial big-league experience in 2025.

There's no telling how competitive the Cardinals will be this year. Hopefully, St. Louis has a surprisingly successful season. However, making the playoffs isn't necessarily a goal for the 11-time World Series champions. Mozeliak and the rest of the front office are unlikely to waste their time hunting free-agent upgrades with Opening Day a little over a month away.