Market For Cardinals 3B Nolan Arenado Has 'Been Very Quiet', Per John Mozeliak

Could the St. Louis fan favorite be retained for another season?

Jul 30, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak talks with the media after the Cardinals traded relief pitcher Jordan Hicks (not pictured) starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (not pictured) and relief pitcher Chris Stratton (not pictured) at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is amid his final offseason as head honcho and is equipped with the challenging task of trading superstar Nolan Arenado.

The eight-time All-Star logged the worst season of his career at the plate in 2024, making it difficult for the Cardinals to find a trade partner willing to commit to paying the rest of Arenado's contract, which includes three years and roughly $74 million.

Could the Cardinals retain Arenado for 2025? Mozeliak's latest comments suggest that St. Louis might not part ways with the fan favorite this winter.

"We’ve entered the new year (happy 2025, by the way)," The Athletic's Katie Woo wrote Tuesday morning. "Pitchers and catchers report in five weeks — Feb. 10, to be exact. Since the Cardinals’ ill-fated attempts to trade Arenado to Houston (Astros), there has been next to no traction in his trade talks. 'The update would be it’s been very quiet,' Mozeliak said in a recent interview on KMOX regarding Arenado’s market."

Arenado batted .272 with 39 extra-base hits including 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .719 OPS in 152 games played for the Cardinals this season.

“'If we have the ability to find him a place he desires, it’s something we are going to try to do,'" Mozeliak continued, as transcribed by Woo. "'If not, he will have to be a part of our club moving forward.'”

Failing to eliminate Arenado's hefty contract from the payroll could negatively impact the Cardinals rebuilding efforts. Fortunately, there's plenty of time left for pieces to be moved around, allowing a spot to open for the 10-time Gold Glove defender with a genuine postseason contender for 2025.

More MLB: Cardinals Top Prospect Predicted To Win NL Rookie Of The Year Next Season