By MATT PIKE
The St. Louis Cardinals entered this offseason aiming to make their roster younger, going into a rebuild under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
First trading Sonny Gray, then Willson Contreras, the Cardinals have now moved on from 10 time Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado, trading the third baseman to the Arizona Diamondbacks today, in return receiving Arizona’s eighth round pick in last year’s draft right handed pitcher Jack Martinez. Arenado did have a no-trade clause which he waived for the D-backs.
The 34 year old Arenado is among the game’s most decorated active players with eight All-Star appointments, six Platinum Glove awards, five Silver Sluggers and three NL home run titles to go along with his 10 Gold Gloves, though his recent production has not lived up to that. This past season, injuries limited his playing time following an offseason filled with trade rumors, using that no trade clause to block a trade to the Houston Astros, going on to hit just 12 home runs with a .666 OPS in 107 games for St. Louis.
Arenado finished third in the voting for the National League’s MVP Award in 2022, when he slashed .293/.358/.533 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs and won his 10th straight Gold Glove. His numbers have dipped significantly since. He hit just 26 home runs in 2023, and then 16 in 2024, before the injury riddled 2025 signaled the end of his time with the Cardinals.
Arenado is still owed $42 million over the next two seasons, $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027, per SpoTrac.com. The final year of the contract was added on when he agreed to the trade from the Rockies to the Cardinals before the 2021 season. The Rockies are contractually obligated to pay $5 million of Arenado’s 2027 salary.
Martinez pitched last season at Arizona State University prior to being drafted by the Diamondbacks, being assigned to the ACL D-backs after signing with the the team. The right hander in college posted a 6-4 record with a 5.47 ERA in 15 starts, striking out 110 batters. In his collegiate career, in which he pitched at Arizona State, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Trinity College, he was 20-8 across 75 appearances, with 28 starts, posting a 4.76 ERA and striking out 287.
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