St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Why the Angels don't make sense as a Nolan Arenado landing spot

By Curt Bishop | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 6:15 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding this offseason with Chaim Bloom in charge. They have a lot of trade chips, including Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras and JoJo Romero.

However, their top priority has been finding a new spot for Nolan Arenado. His market has moved slowly, with a lot of third basemen still free agents.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that a potential suitor has emerged. However, it depends on one major issue and may not be the best place for Arenado.

"Arenado, meanwhile, is a possibility for the Los Angeles Angels, who are negotiating a buyout agreement with third baseman Anthony Rendon. No trade is imminent, however. The market for Arenado will become better defined after Bregman and Eugenio Suárez sign their free-agent deals," Rosenthal wrote.

Why the Angels don't make sense for Nolan Arenado

This would be good for the Cardinals, as they would finally be able to get out from under some of the remaining money he's owed in the next two years.

But it just doesn't make sense from Arenado's standpoint. He wants to play for a contender, and the Angels are not one at the moment. He would at least be playing close to home in Southern California, but the situation wouldn't be any better for him.

Even though the Cardinals are rebuilding, there is much more talent on their roster than that of the Angels. The Halos have not been to the postseason since 2014, and while they've made some moves this offseason, they likely are not going to be enough to make them a contender.

Plus, there is no guarantee that the Angels will be able to work things out with Rendon and secure a buyout from his contract. But if Arenado wants to go to a contender, he'll likely have to wait a little while for his market to form after Bregman and Suarez sign their new contracts.

Arenado's market depends on both Bregman and Suarez, but the Angels don't offer him anything other than a chance to play closer to home. It would work for the Cardinals, but Arenado would be walking into a far worse situation for himself.

The eight-time All-Star hit just .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs and a .666 OPS during the regular season with St. Louis, and he even missed over a month due to an injury.

The 34-year-old is declining and may be near the end of his career. If he's serious about winning a title, it likely won't come with the Angels.

Curt Bishop

Curt Bishop is a freelance sportswriter who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of communication. Curt primarily covers Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.

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