Cardinals All-Star Has Better Chance Of Being Traded Than Kept, Per League Sources

St. Louis could have to say goodbye to a fan favorite soon

Aug 20, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium as the sun sets during the fourth inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals announced shortly after the regular season ended that this winter will be spent shopping players' contracts to clear payroll and roster room for youngsters.

The Cardinals are planning to give struggling former top prospects Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman opportunities to gain more experience as they acclimate to the competitiveness of the big leagues. With St. Louis leaning on its youth next season, qualifying for the playoffs has been placed on the back burner.

With 2025 predicted to be a down year for the Cardinals, a fan favorite's future in St. Louis isn't looking so bright, with multiple sources claiming he'll be dealt.

"The trade wouldn’t just benefit (Nolan) Arenado, who has been candid about his desire to play postseason baseball over the past several years," The Athletic's Katie Woo wrote Tuesday morning. "The Cardinals would be motivated to move Arenado’s contract because it would clear a substantial amount of money off their books, and the organization has already stated next year’s payroll will be going down. A trade would also open the hot corner to one of their younger players or upcoming prospects, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has made it clear he will prioritize consistent playing time for the organization’s young players next year."

Arenado has $74 million remaining on his contract. After logging the worst season of his career at the plate this season, the Cardinals are hopeful to find a suitor willing to take a chance on the 10-time Gold Glove defender.

"The most important thing to note: Neither the team nor the player has agreed to a trade," Woo continued. "The sides have only agreed to explore the possibility of one. There remains a scenario in which the Cardinals keep Arenado, though multiple league sources believe the odds of St. Louis trading him to be higher than the odds of retaining him."

It's challenging to imagine Arenado wanting to remain in St. Louis, considering he requested to be traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Cardinals in 2021 under the impression he'd have a solid chance at winning a World Series.

Despite floundering offensively this season, Arenado could be a perfect change of scenery candidate and it would be surprising to see him in a Cardinals uniform in 2025.

More MLB: Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Could Be Traded To NL West Rival Looking To Dethrone Dodgers