After greater than a yearlong residency on the rumor mill, Nolan Arenado’s time in St. Louis is over. The Cardinals introduced Tuesday that they’ve traded Arenado and money to the D-backs in change for minor league right-hander Jack Martinez (Arizona’s eighth-round choose within the 2025 draft). The Diamondbacks are reportedly on the hook for a complete of $11MM of the remaining $42MM owed to Arenado over the following two seasons. The Rockies are paying $5MM of that sum, and the Cardinals owe the remaining $26MM. Arizona’s 40-man roster had a emptiness however is now at capability with the addition of Arenado.
With the Cardinals coming into a rebuild underneath new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, buying and selling the 34-year-old Arenado (35 in April) has been a main purpose this offseason. He’s nonetheless owed two years and $42MM, although the Rockies are on the hook for $5MM of that sum. Arizona is on the hook for $5MM this season and $6MM subsequent yr.
Three years in the past, a wage dump of Arenado would’ve been laborious to think about. He was a Nationwide League MVP finalist after hitting .293/.358/.533 with 30 dwelling runs and his typical model of elite protection throughout that 2022 season. His offense slipped significantly in 2023 (.266/.315/.459) however was nonetheless north of league common. It dipped to about common in 2024, nonetheless, and plummeted properly under par this previous season.
In 436 plate appearances with the Cardinals in 2025, Arenado turned in an anemic .237/.289/.377 batting line. By measure of wRC+, he was 16% worse than a median hitter on the plate. Arenado’s 12 dwelling runs have been his lowest in a full season since his rookie yr again in 2013. This yr’s 6.4% stroll fee was his lowest since 2015. When contemplating that his 34.1% chase fee on pitches off the plate was additionally his worst since 2015, that’s not significantly stunning. Arenado’s 11.2% strikeout fee was one of many lowest in MLB and among the finest in his profession, however he additionally posted his highest-ever infield fly fee — 16.5% of his fly-balls have been innocent pop-ups — and recorded a number of the worst exit velocity and hard-hit numbers of his profession.
Suffice it to say, Arenado’s decline on the plate has been steep. He nonetheless possesses plus contact expertise however might want to cut back his chase fee and minimize out a few of these weak pop-ups if he’s to enhance in a significant approach. Happily for Arenado, he’s going to a extra favorable offensive atmosphere than the one he’s been calling dwelling in St. Louis. Whereas Phoenix’s Chase Discipline isn’t the hitters’ haven it as soon as was, it performs largely impartial to right-handed energy now — a stark acquire for Arenado relative to St. Louis’ Busch Stadium, which is the fifth-worst park for right-handed dwelling run energy over the previous three years, per Statcast’s Park Elements.
Previous to including Arenado, the Diamondbacks had been concerned available in the market for Alex Bregman. A match there all the time appeared like one thing of an extended shot, given Arizona’s intent to scale back payroll in 2026, however the curiosity was reliable. The Snakes shortly pivoted and introduced in a way more reasonably priced choice to carry down the new nook for the following two seasons. Arenado’s glove has additionally taken some steps again lately, however he’s nonetheless an above-average defender. He’ll give supervisor Torey Lovullo a high quality pair of defenders on the left facet of the infield, becoming a member of breakout shortstop Geraldo Perdomo in that regard.
Buying Arenado leaves the Diamondbacks with little alternative for former No. 6 total choose and high prospect Jordan Lawlar. Perdomo’s breakout appeared to push Lawlar down the defensive spectrum to 3rd base, however he appeared overmatched each with the glove and within the batter’s field throughout his first few checks in opposition to MLB pitching. The D-backs have been contemplating giving him a while within the outfield, and maybe with Jake McCarthy now in Colorado following this weekend’s commerce, there’ll be a clearer path to that experiment. If not, Lawlar has a minor league choice remaining and could be despatched again to Triple-A (the place he’s routinely thrashed opposing pitchers) — and even included in a possible commerce bundle to handle wants elsewhere on the roster.
Even with the Snakes trying to minimize payroll, the addition of that fraction of Arenado’s contract quantities to little greater than a footnote. He’s successfully changing a league-minimum participant, so this commerce provides a internet $4.2MM to the group’s books. Per RosterResource’s estimates, that brings Arizona’s payroll simply north of $170MM. That’s greater than $17MM shy of final yr’s Opening Day payroll. An actual goal isn’t clear, however there needs to be room so as to add a reliever or two, on the very least, and additional trades may all the time change the payroll outlook a technique or one other.
If the cash altering palms (and the frequent reporting within the year-plus main as much as in the present day’s commerce) wasn’t indicative sufficient that this quantities to a wage dump for St. Louis, the return needs to be. Martinez hasn’t pitched an inning in skilled ball but. The Diamondbacks chosen him with their eighth-round choose final yr out of Arizona State College. His $167K signing bonus checked in south of his No. 243 total choice’s $223K slot worth.
A 6’4″, 215-pound righty, Martinez began his faculty profession taking part in Division-III ball earlier than transferring twice and ending up within the Solar Devils’ rotation as a senior. He was tagged for a 5.47 ERA by 15 begins throughout his senior yr. It’s not an encouraging quantity, however Martinez punched out 32.3% of his opponents and may run his fastball as much as 97 mph, per MLB.com’s scouting report. He has a four-pitch combine with a changeup serving as his greatest secondary providing, however Martinez is a pure lottery ticket for the Cardinals’ reshaped participant improvement division.
A yr in the past, the Cardinals thought they’d labored out a commerce to ship Arenado the Astros. Arenado, nonetheless, invoked his no-trade safety to nix that association, reportedly as a result of reservations in regards to the Astros’ dedication to contending; Houston had simply traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs days previous to the nixed Arenado deal. Heading into the present offseason, Arenado was forthcoming about the truth that he’d be extra open-minded to offseason commerce eventualities than he was final winter.
That clearly appears to be the case, however the D-backs may’ve been a viable touchdown spot for him even when he have been persevering with to stay selective. Arizona could also be scaling again payroll, however their signings of Merrill Kelly and Michael Soroka — plus their reported curiosity within the aforementioned Bregman — all sign a dedication to attempt to discipline a contender in 2026. Past that, Arizona is a Southern California native with a house in Arizona. There are geographic advantages that certainly performed into his determination to waive that no-trade clause for a transfer to the desert.
For the Cardinals, shifting Arenado now clears a comparatively nominal sum from the long-term books and furthers their purpose of making alternatives for youthful gamers. It stays to be seen whether or not Arenado’s third base reps will go to Nolan Gorman, high prospect JJ Wetherholt and even former high prospect/third baseman-turned-outfielder Jordan Walker. Whoever takes up common work on the scorching nook will likely be a extra viable long-term choice on the place than Arenado is as he enters his mid-30s.
The commerce of Arenado is the third of a big-name veteran on a big contract for the Cardinals this offseason. They’ve already traded Sonny Grey and Willson Contreras to the Crimson Sox. These gamers have been shipped out in separate offers, with St. Louis consuming notable parts of cash in these trades, too. Between Grey, Contreras and now Arenado, the Cardinals will likely be shelling out $54MM over the following two seasons to a few gamers who’re now not on their books (technically $59MM, however once more, they’re receiving $5MM from the Rockies to cowl a portion of Arenado’s $32MM wage in 2026).
Consuming that sum of money to facilitate the trades of three former All-Stars is unprecedented, however the Cardinals have been clear about their intent to rebuild the group from the bottom up, modernizing the participant improvement division, analytics workers and varied different elements of the group’s baseball operations setup — all whereas affording youthful and extra controllable gamers the chance to determine themselves within the majors. With three expensive veterans gone, a lot of the heavy lifting has been taken care of, however the Cardinals are nonetheless extensively anticipated to commerce second baseman Brendan Donovan and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero earlier than the season begins.
Katie Woo of The Athletic first reported that the 2 sides have been in severe discussions. John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports activities broke the information that an settlement was in place and added that Martinez was going again to St. Louis. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic first reported particulars on the money altering palms.
