Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado late stratch with back spasms quiets trade talk

The St. Louis Cardinals have been in trade rumors for some time now, and Nolan Arenado has led the way in those discussions. With the team floating around .500 and having a young group, some think that there is a good chance that he could be traded by the deadline. Those talks got louder after Arenado was a late scratch against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but it was because of an injury.

“Arenado was a late scratch with back Spasms. Per Cardinals,” Jim Hayes of FanDuel Sports Network wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

About a week ago, there were thoughts that maybe the Los Angeles Dodgers would look into trading for him, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

“Meanwhile, they still are trying to trade All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to express interest while still hoping that third baseman Max Muncy escapes his early-season struggles,” Nightengale wrote.

The one that the Cardinals have to consider is that Arenado has a full no-trade clause in his contract, which gives him the leverage when it comes to wherever he wants to go. He has also noted that he’d waive this clause for several teams. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Arenado as the season progresses.

What will the Cardinals do with Nolan Arenado?

If the Cardinals are floating around .500 at the trade deadline, there’s a good chance that President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak won’t trade Arenado, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo.

“I really think Arenado’s future hinges on how the team looks over the next few months,” Woo said.

In the event that the Cardinals do want to trade Arenado, the best option for them is to pay down some of his contract, according to ESPN’s David Schoenfield.

“Will some team want him now? He’s making $32 million this year, $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027, which complicates things,” Schoenfield wrote. “He’s off to an excellent start — with more walks than strikeouts while hitting for average — so that could create some interest, and there are certainly teams that could use an upgrade at third base.”

The Cardinals are currently 18-19 and sitting in third place in the NL Central, so it looks like they could be floating around the .500 mark later in the season. If teams feel they need to add a piece like Arenado, there’s no doubt that they’ll be calling the Cardinals’ phone.