Nolan Arenado’s tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals seems to be winding down, and even the eight-time Gold Glover himself has acknowledged that reality.
The future Hall of Famer has cemented his place as one of baseball’s greatest defensive third basemen. Since joining St. Louis before the 2022 season, he’s remained productive – finishing third in NL MVP voting that year behind teammate Paul Goldschmidt.
But this season tells a different story.
Arenado missed all of August and most of September with a shoulder injury. When he was on the field, he posted a .234 batting average with just 10 home runs – a steep drop from his Colorado days.
According to Josh Jacobs with Redbird Rants, Arenado’s among three Cardinals players who could be playing their final home games at Busch Stadium this season. The timing makes sense when you look at how things have played out.
“On one hand, Arenado is an all-time great and future Hall of Famer, but on the other hand, most of his campaigns with the Cardinals have been underwhelming, and the club didn’t win a single playoff game during his time in St. Louis,” Jacobs wrote.
That’s the reality the Cardinals are facing. They’re 74-79 this season, sitting five games out of the final NL Wild Card spot with time running out.
What makes this situation different is that Arenado himself has acknowledged his days in St. Louis are likely numbered. That kind of transparency from a player of his caliber usually signals the end is near.
The Cardinals brought Arenado in to help push them over the top. Instead, they’ve watched a generational talent’s production decline while the team failed to capitalize on his prime years. Sometimes the fit just doesn’t work, even when everyone involved has the best intentions.
