Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals are fully aware that their likely future Hall of Fame third baseman is almost certainly gone. Last year, Arenado vetoed a trade to the Houston Astros, which made Los Angeles Angels fans like him even more than they already did. Now that the Angels need to replace a third-base hole, Arenado’s words following the conclusion of the Red Birds’ season may make even more sense.
Recent Nolan Arenado comments will make Angels fans demand a trade right away
The Angels were said to be on Arenado’s short list of teams to whom he would have waived his no-trade clause last year, but he either did not have them on the list or deliberately rejected them as a destination when Cardinals personnel vetted him. Arenado is after his first World Series championship, therefore he obviously did not want to join the 2025 Angels. However, things may have changed for him this time around.
“I understand I can’t nitpick quite as much,” Arenado explained to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “At the same time, I have a family.” I can’t just go somewhere. That is something I cannot do. I need to make sure I make the correct option for us. I don’t believe it is fair for me to say, ‘I’m only going to this championship-caliber team.’ I don’t believe I can accomplish it. Who’s to say the team wants me? This is a two-way street. “I understand.”
Arenado is from Newport Beach, California, and went to high school in Lake Forest, California. During the wintertime, he resides in Southern California with his wife, who was his high school sweetheart. He has strong links to Southern California, and as his career winds down, he may desire to play closer to home. If the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arenado’s favorite team growing up, pass on him, the Angels may be able to make a deal this time around.
Arenado is coming off the worst season of his career and is under contract for three years and $52 million. Angels fans may be hesitant to bring back a guy who just had a career-low.666 OPS, but if Arenado is willing to return home, they may be able to alleviate concerns in these ways.
For starters, the Angels are unlikely to pay his entire compensation. Perhaps the Cardinals would take back Jorge Soler’s expiring contract in exchange for Arenado to help offset the new salary? Arenado gets $21 million in 2026, although his deal does reduce to a $16 million AAV in 2027 and then $15 million in 2028. The Angels will have a lot more salary flexibility in 2027 and beyond, so helping to counteract Arenado’s AAV next year is the biggest challenge. If the Angels hook them with a strong enough prospect package, the Cardinals might eat more of his contract in the remaining two years while also bringing Soler in.
Say what you want about Arenado’s disastrous 2026 season, but he didn’t strike out that much! His 11% strikeout rate placed him in the 96th percentile of batters, making his skill set more valuable to the Angels than any other team in baseball. In case you forgot, the Angels have more strikeouts than any other club in baseball history, with one exception.
Arenado played with Mike Trout in the World Baseball Classic, and the two future Hall of Famers would be fantastic clubhouse presences for the youthful core. Furthermore, Arenado has stated publicly that Albert Pujols is one of his all-time favorite players. The two were teammates during Pujols’ last season in 2022, and it just so happens that Pujols is the top candidate for the Angels’ vacant management position.
If the Angels can sign Munetaka Murakami, they must do so. However, if Murakami signs with the Dodgers (who must be the odds-on favorite to sign the prodigy), or someone else, dealing for Arenado is hardly the worst idea in the world. Arenado and Zach Neto would be a defensive powerhouse on the left side of the infield (Arenado is still an all-world defender). Arte Moreno appreciates performers who can fill seats, and Arenado fulfills the description.