Eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado, who has won 10 Gold Gloves as a third baseman, is open to a position change as the St. Louis Cardinals continue to explore a trade of the veteran this offseason, league sources told Katie Woo of The Athletic.
Arenado reportedly is willing to move to first base, in a part-time role at the very least, to give a new team some added flexibility on the roster and in the lineup.
St. Louis has missed the postseason in each of the last two seasons, resulting in a shift in the club's team-building philosophy. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak, who after 2025 will be stepping down from his post, said during an October interview with Fox 2 that the club wants to give "young players a chance to play." The Cardinals possess the fifth-oldest roster in the majors.
Arenado, 33, and due to be paid $74 million over the next three seasons, would not seem to fit with the team's apparent long-term timeline, making a trade more likely. Complicating matters is Arenado's no-trade clause, though the veteran third baseman is expected to waive the clause if the chance to play for a contender emerges, Woo reports. He has played in just eight postseason games and has yet to win a World Series in his decorated career.
A five-time Silver Slugger Award winner who has hit 30 or more home runs in a season seven times, Arenado has experienced something of a decline offensively over the past two seasons, posting a .269/.320/.426 slash line in 296 games between 2023 and 2024, marks that fall well below his career averages.
But Arenado, who ranked second in MLB in the Statcast metric Outs Above Average, remains an elite defensive third baseman. And his willingness to play a different position could usher more contenders to the table in trade talks with the Cardinals.
In 12 big league seasons, the Newport Beach, Ca. native has produced a .285/.342/.515 slash line with 341 home runs, 1,132 RBI and 1,826 hits in 1,680 games played.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nolan Arenado Open to Position Change As Cardinals Trade Talks Persist.
