The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a trade with St. Louis on Tuesday, concluding the Cardinals’ year-plus-long effort to deal the eight-time All-Star as they engage in a rebuild.
The Cardinals, who received right-handed pitching prospect Jack Martinez in the deal, sent $31 million to the Diamondbacks to help cover the $42 million remaining on Arenado’s contract over the next two years. Arenado waived his no-trade clause to facilitate the deal.
Arenado, 34, has been on the trade block for more than a year. He invoked his no-trade clause last year to spike a deal to the Houston Astros and remained with St. Louis, where he hit .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 107 games.
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He has two years left on a nine-year, $275 million contract he originally signed with the Colorado Rockies before the 2019 season, and Arizona will pay $5 million of his $27 million salary this season and $6 million of the $15 million he is owed next year.
“We’ve always liked the way he’s played the game and the impact he can have when he’s not playing,” Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said. “I think he’s a good fit. I know how much winning means to him and is important to him — and it’s important to us.”
Arenado is the third player with a no-trade clause the Cardinals have moved this winter after Bloom took over for longtime president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. The Cardinals dealt right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox in separate deals.
The Cardinals have sent $59 million combined in deals to move the three players.
“We are grateful for Nolan’s five years as a Cardinal, on and off the field — for his drive, his competitiveness, and for all of the memories he gave us,” Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in a statement.
The market for Arenado heated up in recent weeks, with discussions accelerating with the Diamondbacks in the wake of third baseman Alex Bregman signing with the Chicago Cubs. Arizona has spent the winter seeking an upgrade at third base after trading Eugenio Suarez to Seattle before the July 31 deadline last year.
In Arenado, the Diamondbacks receive a likely future Hall of Famer with 10 Gold Gloves, six Platinum Gloves as the best defender in baseball and a career hitting line of .282/.338/.507 with 353 home runs and 1,184 RBIs. St. Louis acquired Arenado in 2021, just two years after he signed the long-term deal with Colorado, which drafted him out of high school in the second round in 2009.
He joins a Diamondbacks team coming off an 80-82 season and returning All-Stars Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte, the latter of whom had been bandied about in trade discussions but is expected to remain with the team.
“We look for him to be a solid offensive contributor in our lineup,” Hazen said of Arenado. “With the firepower we have at the top of our lineup, we’re not looking for him to carry the offense. We don’t need him to carry the offense. We need him to solidify and stabilize our defense — that’s a huge component to this.”
Following the trade, St. Louis does not have a player under contract beyond the 2026 season and is carrying a payroll of slightly over $100 million, with Dustin May ($12.5 million) as the highest-paid player on the team. The Cardinals also are engaged with multiple teams on trade talks for super-utility man Brendan Donovan, sources told ESPN.
“As we continue to move forward, we are pleased to add another intriguing pitching prospect to our organization, and excited for the opportunity this move creates for a number of our players to step up and further establish themselves at the big league level,” Bloom said.
Martinez, 22, was an eighth-round pick out of Arizona State last year and did not pitch after signing. In his final college season, he struck out 110 in 77.1 innings with 33 walks and a 5.47 ERA.
