Nolan Arenado is headed back to the NL West. The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Arenado, a staple of the Rockies’ lineup for much of the 2010s, on January 13 from the Cardinals as part of a salary dump deal by St. Louis. The Cardinals received a Minor League pitcher for Arenado.

The Diamondbacks’ Return

• 3B Nolan Arenado (.237/.289/.377, 12 HR & 31 XBH over 107 GP)

The Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado from the Rockies nearly five years ago, as part of an early February 2021 trade that gave St. Louis an elite right-handed slugger to pair with Paul Goldschmidt. While Arenado spent all of his MLB career at that point playing half of his games at Coors Field, it didn’t stop him from being an elite hitter over his first two seasons.

Arenado hit 64 combined home runs between 2021 and 2022, helping the Cards make the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. And in 2022, Arenado finished as one of the three finalists for the NL MVP. From there, his numbers took a tumble.

His OPS dipped from .891 to .774 between 2022 and 2023, although he still cracked 26 home runs and 55 extra-base hits. However, he set a career-low in extra-base hits (39) in 2024, then spent a good chunk of 2025 on the injured list. Arenado was limited thanks to a shoulder strain this past year.

His .287 wOBA from this past season ranked 212th among Major Leaguers who had at least 350 plate appearances.

Arenado, who made a living as a high-contact hitter with power as a Rockie, remains one of the better contact hitters in the game. The 34-year-old swung and missed just 17.9% of the time in 2025, and remains a good high-ball hitter who can do damage against fastballs and pull the baseball.

But on the other hand, he’s been unable to do significant damage over the past few seasons. His Barrel/PA has steadily dipped over the past few years, going from 6.5 in 2022 — above the league average — to 3.2 in 2025, below it.

Arenado still remains a good defensive third baseman (+3 OAA), which has been a hallmark of his career.

The Diamondbacks will also receive cash in the trade. Arenado has two years remaining on his deal, with a portion of his control still being paid out by the Rockies.

The Cardinals’ Return

• P Jack Martinez (Did not pitch professionally in 2025)

St. Louis will receive Minor League pitcher Jack Martinez in the trade. Martinez was drafted in the eighth round by the Diamondbacks out of Arizona State back in 2022.

Martinez struck out 110 batters for the Sun Devils in 2025 across 77 innings. His 12.8 K/9 ranked as the 13th-highest in Division I last year among pitchers.

Analysis

For the Cardinals, it’s a clean break from Arenado, who has been a subject of trade rumors over the last two winters. Arenado wasn’t traded last winter, despite rumors that linked him to the Astros and Yankees, among other teams.

St. Louis continues to expedite its push to get younger.

As for the Diamondbacks, Arizona was rumored to be one of the teams in on Alex Bregman. However, once the team made it known that Ketel Marte won’t be dealt, it closed the door on that avenue. Bregman signed with the Cubs this past weekend.

Arenado will take on a role held by Eugenio Suarez for most of 2025 before he was traded to Seattle at the deadline. He’ll also have ample support around the lineup, with Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll, and Marte among those in that lineup.

However, the trade does clog up another infield position for Jordan Lawlar. Lawlar split his time between second, third, and short in the Minors but mostly played third when he was with the D-Backs last season.

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