The St. Louis Cardinals have emerged as one of MLB’s most pleasant surprises this season. Despite the Chicago Cubs’ strong start, the Cardinals remain just three games behind in the NL Central and are four games above .500. Their success has come from a mix of promising young talent and experienced veterans like Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado. However, Arenado has struggled to meet expectations in 2025, making a potential trade the logical move for the team.
The Cardinals’ front office, led by John Mozeliak and Chaim Bloom, has already made efforts to move Arenado. At one point, a deal with the Houston Astros was reportedly in place, but Arenado refused to waive his no-trade clause. That clause has proven to be a major obstacle, limiting the team’s options. While the Detroit Tigers—currently holding the best record in baseball—were said to be interested, they weren’t on Arenado’s approved trade list.
Other teams that had shown interest, such as the Yankees and Red Sox, have since found other solutions. Meanwhile, Arenado’s lackluster numbers in 2025—highlighted by a .695 OPS and .242 batting average with little power—only add to the Cardinals’ frustration as they search for a resolution.
Cardinals reach a breaking point with Nolan Arenado
The Cardinals recently dropped Nolan Arenado lower in the batting order as he continues to struggle at the plate. While he remains a reliable defender in the St. Louis infield, his offensive production has fallen short in 2025. And Arenado himself isn’t shying away from that fact.
“We switched the lineup \[because] the guys are playing well in front of me, and the guys who were hitting behind me, they should move up in front of me,” Arenado said, acknowledging the move. “There’s really nothing more to it than that.”
Arenado, a former NL MVP, holds himself to a high standard. But his power numbers have steadily declined since leaving the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, and now he barely poses a threat at the plate. That decline seems to be affecting his confidence.
“I don’t really have an answer. Just play better, play more the way I think I’m capable of,” Arenado admitted. “But it’s been a minute since I’ve felt like I could play the way I should. So I don’t know if it’s coming back or not.”
That kind of uncertainty is not what Cardinals fans wanted to hear—and it sheds light on why the front office was eager to trade him before the season while there was still perceived value.