Nolan Arenado Trade: Cardinals Acquire Rockies 3B in Major Cash Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals made a major deal on Friday evening, surprising MLB fans in the process. The team agreed to terms with the Colorado Rockies to acquire third baseman Nolan Arenado. The five-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner will join a new franchise as he begins his age 30 season, pending approval by the league and union.

According to ESPN, Arenado signed a massive eight-year, $260 million extension with the Rockies in 2019 and essentially guaranteed at the time that he would remain with the team for the remainder of his career. However, the situation changed amid struggles on the diamond. Arenado ultimately agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract while the Cardinals agreed to send an estimated $50 million to the Rockies to offset the financial impact of the trade.

“This deal was always going to be complicated,” said MLB on FOX reporter Ken Rosenthal. “Nolan Arenado has a no-trade clause; he has an opt-out after the 2021 season. My understanding is that he retains that opt-out and in return for waiving his no-trade, he’s going to get another opt-out after the 2022 season.”

Rosenthal continued and explained that the baseball star has six years and $199 million remaining his deal. The Cardinals will inherit roughly $150 million of this money after sending the cash to the Rockies. The St. Louis franchise will also send some prospects to the Rockies — although Rosenthal did not have their names at the time.

While the Cardinals fans began celebrating on Twitter, Rosenthal did clarify that the deal is not fully approved just yet. He explained that MLB and the players’ union would both have to sign off on the trade. The amount of money exchanging hands is the primary reason for the required approval.

A five-time All-Star, Arenado did not play his best during the shortened 2020 season. He only hit .253 with eight home runs. He also missed the final nine games due to a left shoulder bone bruise. In 2019, however, Arenado hit a career-best .315 with 41 home runs and 118 RBIs. Now he will strive to find similar success in the National League Central. The Cardinals are already the favorites heading into the 2021 season, but adding Arenado via trade only increases the expectations.