Arenado’s no-trade clause was the main barrier to Cardinals trades for two offseasons, with a short list of acceptable destinations, especially in winter 2024-25. St. Louis owed $42MM remaining and ultimately absorbed $31MM after Arenado approved a trade to the Diamondbacks in January. Offense declined after a 2022 NL MVP finish, dropping to 107 wRC+ in 2023, 102 in 2024, and 84 wRC+ in 2025. In 2025, he hit .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs across 436 plate appearances, while barrel and hard-hit rates ranked in the 12th percentile. Despite weaker power, his third-base defense remained strong, and Arizona accepted the risk for a modest $11MM total salary ($5MM in 2026, $6MM in 2027) after missing targets like Alex Bregman and Brendan Dono.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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