ST. LOUIS -- Determined to find a contending team with a better fit for Nolan Arenado as they begin a full-scale rebuild in 2026, the Cardinals traded the aging third baseman and a sizeable amount of cash to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Jack Martinez.
A Cardinals club that has already traded veterans Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras for a haul of prospects this winter dealt Arenado in an effort to clear up salary and playing time at third base. Arenado, who is still owed $42 million, agreed to waive the no-trade clause in his contract to join the D-backs for the 2026 season. In December 2024, Arenado used his no-trade clause to block a potential deal to the Astros.
TRADE DETAILS
Cardinals get: RHP Jack Martinez
D-backs get: 3B Nolan Arenado, cash
New Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom met with Arenado in late September, and both agreed that the time was right to find a new team for the third baseman. Arenado, one of two players in MLB history to win 10 Gold Glove Awards in his first 10 MLB seasons, is hoping to play for a World Series contender in the latter stages of his career.
“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,” Bloom said in a release. “We wish Nolan and his family the very best as he continues with the next chapter of his great career.
“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.”
Trading Arenado opens potential playing time for 25-year-old slugger Nolan Gorman, who split time between third base and second base last year. The Cardinals are also expected to use their top organizational prospect (per MLB Pipeline), JJ Wetherholt, at third base, shortstop and second base in the upcoming season.
The Cardinals agreed to send $31 million of deferred payments to the D-backs to offset the money still owed to the 34-year-old Arenado, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Martinez, an eighth-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, won’t be ranked in the Cardinals' Top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline.
Arenado, who was acquired from the Rockies in a blockbuster trade in 2021, spent five seasons with the Cardinals. He appeared in three All-Star Games and just three playoff games in his time with St. Louis. He finished third in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting in 2022, helping the Cardinals to an NL Central Division title.