With Chaim Bloom stepping in as the new president of baseball operations, the St. Louis Cardinals were inevitably going to reshape their roster. That reshuffling kicked off when they shipped Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox.
He won’t be the only established player St. Louis chooses to move. The Cardinals have missed the postseason since 2022, forcing the franchise to take a long, honest look at its direction. Their conclusion was that sticking with the same core again would amount to a wasted effort.
Because of this updated mindset, Nolan Arenado is also expected to be traded. He has been at the center of trade speculation going all the way back to the start of 2025. With St. Louis essentially acknowledging it needs to reset, Arenado would rather join a team with real playoff hopes. That reality makes it more likely he’d be open to waiving his no-trade clause for a wider group of suitors.
The Los Angeles Angels may not yet be viewed as legitimate contenders. Still, they demonstrated their willingness to act aggressively by trading for Grayson Rodriguez. If the Angels can convince Arenado that they’re trending upward, they become an ideal potential trade partner for St. Louis.
Cardinals must trade Nolan Arenado to Angels
There’s nothing particularly elite about the Angels’ farm system. According to MLB Pipeline, they have two top-100 prospects, and both sit outside the top 90. It’s unlikely Los Angeles would offer either for Arenado, yet the Cardinals shouldn’t necessarily be holding out for premium capital anyway.
Among all the teams that could pursue Arenado, the Angels might be the most motivated to strike a deal. Beyond taking on expensive contracts, Los Angeles may struggle to draw any of the premier free agents. Trading for Arenado provides the Angels with another major offensive weapon and gives their young players a veteran presence to model.
In addition, the Angels clearly need help at third base. It appears Anthony Rendon is finished with the Angels and possibly baseball entirely. Yoan Moncada dealt with repeated injuries in 2025 and is now a free agent. Los Angeles wouldn’t need to rearrange much to plug Arenado directly into the lineup.
A significant factor is that Arenado grew up in Newport Beach, California. While he’d ideally prefer to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, the chance to go home might be difficult to decline at this stage of his career.
For the Cardinals, the top priority in any Arenado trade is securing the best return possible. Given their current situation, the Angels seem like one of the teams most capable of meeting that price. It’s unclear whether adding Arenado would immediately make Los Angeles a playoff club, but the move would push them nearer to their goals while St. Louis continues its rebuilding effort.