Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) fields a ground ball hit by Cincinnati Reds third baseman Santiago Espinal (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Cardinals Insiders Explain Why Nolan Arenado Trade Is The Right Call

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 4:00 PM ET

On Sunday, Nolan Arenado was taken out of the St. Louis Cardinals' series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers before the first pitch was thrown. He tipped his cap to the Busch Stadium faithful and received hugs from his teammates, knowing that it likely will be his last game in St. Louis as a Cardinal. Arenado even said after the game that he anticipates being traded.

The Cardinals are out of contention, and Arenado will likely want to play for a contending team next season so he can have a chance to win a World Series title. Ultimately, it may be best for the Cardinals as well.

On Sunday, Randy Karraker of STL Sports Central discussed and Arenado trade and why it ultimately is in the Cardinals' best interest to move on.

Cardinals Insider Discusses Nolan Arenado Trade

Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

"If you get rid of Arenado, you probably have to pay 32 of the remaining $42 million," Karraker said.

"Would you rather pay Nolan Arenado $42 million to do nothing for you when he's not here or do nothing for you when he is here? Because if you're paying him $42 million to do nothing for you while he is here, then you're blocking somebody. That might be worth it."

The Cardinals have some exciting young players in Thomas Saggese and Nolan Gorman already on the big-league roster. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt is waiting in the wings as well, and the Cardinals need to clear a spot for younger players as part of their rebuild.

The eight-time All-Star is not quite the player he once was. He is hitting .236/.292/.365 with just 10 home runs, 49 RBI and a poor .656 OPS. He almost missed a month and a half due to a shoulder injury.

His defense remains elite, but his offensive production has declined significantly over the past several years. He was a National League MVP finalist in 2022 behind Paul Goldschmidt and was an All-Star in 2023, but he continues to decline at the plate, so it might be best for St. Louis to move on.

Even if the Cardinals have to eat a significant chunk of money, the time has come to go young, and Arenado will likely want to play somewhere he can win a championship. It will be interesting to see how the offseason plays out for the Cardinals and their star third baseman.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: