Veteran third baseman is set to begin the season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Although he’s spent four years with the team and still has two years left on his contract, it seemed unlikely over the winter that he would remain a Cardinal for a fifth season.
Throughout the offseason, Arenado was frequently mentioned in trade discussions as St. Louis entered a rebuilding phase and looked to shed payroll. The Cardinals and Houston Astros openly discussed a potential trade, but Arenado ultimately vetoed the move, and no other deals came to fruition. As a result, he now finds himself playing for a team that appeared ready to move on from him.
“It was awkward at first,” Arenado admitted, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “But I also accepted that I can’t control these things beyond preparing myself for the season. That’s where I put my focus. I’m here, I’m happy to be here, and I’m going to give it my all.”
There’s another factor at play as well. Last season, Arenado posted a .719 OPS—the lowest since his rookie year—and hit just 16 home runs, far below his career average of over 30 per season. He didn’t want to leave St. Louis on a down note.
“I’ve won some awards while I’ve been here, which is great, but I don’t think last season would have been a good way to finish,” he said. “I would have always regretted that my last year was like that. That’s what’s driving me now. I’m excited for another chance to change that.
“I’m looking forward to competing in a place that values good baseball. That’s what I want to bring to them.”