Jun 5, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Reported Nolan Arenado Suitor Isn't 'Serious Option' For Cardinals

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 10:54 AM ET

It has been a roller coaster of a year for the St. Louis Cardinals and third baseman Nolan Arenado.

St. Louis has been the subject of more trade rumors than any other team in baseball over the last year and Arenado has been arguably the guy most publicly on the trade block around the league over that span. Endless rumors and reports have been out there, but they have not yet led to a deal. Last offseason, the Cardinals came close with the Houston Astros, but Arenado used his no-trade clause to shut it down.

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Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries throughout the 2025 season, which hurt him offensively. Now, his trade value isn't at a peak. There haven't many teams linked to him this offseason, but one team that has popped up as a rumored fit is the Los Angeles Angels. They had interest in him last offseason. This offseason, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal as well as Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register noted that the Angels could be a fit for him this winter. While this is the case, Robert Murray of FanSided threw some cold water on the idea on Monday.

Who could the Cardinals get a deal done with?

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"I also still can't get clarity on what they might end up doing now that they have the (Anthony Rendon) contract, not off the books, I don't know, deferred. That's probably the better way of phrasing it. I don't believe Nolan Arenado is going to be a serious option for them," Murray said. "Cody Bellinger has been mentioned before. They've checked in there. He wants to be with a winner. The Angels do not provide that."

That's not the update that Cardinals fans likely wanted to see. Arenado has two years left on his deal and is one of the best third basemen of all time. But his trade market has been difficult. The wait continues and right now there isn't an end in sight.

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

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