Active Gold Glove King Granted Fresh Start in the Desert
The St. Louis Cardinals have sent 10-time Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado and cash considerations to the Arizona Diamondbacks back to the NL West in exchange for minor league pitcher Jack Martinez. The 34-year-old third baseman is returning to somewhat familiar territory. However, since he departed from the Colorado Rockies, the NL West has become a more competitive division as teams try to topple the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, he will serve as a key piece for the Diamondbacks in their quest for a deep playoff run.
Arenado spent his first eight years in the league with the Rockies, where he built and cemented his excellence on both sides of the ball. He also led the Rockies to their most recent playoff appearance in 2018. Injuries affected the 34-year-old third baseman during the 2025 season, in which he played in a career low of 107 games during a full 162-game season. His numbers dropped, reflecting his injury issues, a .237 batting average, 12 home runs, and 52 runs batted in. However, the Diamondbacks are taking a gamble that he will bounce back.
After a long search, the Diamondbacks have a permanent fixture at third base with Arenado. Since the Diamondbacks traded Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners mid-season, they did not have a natural third baseman the rest of the year. Therefore, it became an offseason priority. International free agent Kazuma Okamoto was a potential fit. However, ultimately, the Diamondbacks held out for a proven option in the former Rockies star.
The last few seasons have been a rollercoaster for the storied Cardinals organization. They finished at the top of the NL Central in 2022, then plummeted to last in 2023. For the 2024 season, they managed a second-place finish in their division, but fell to fourth to conclude 2025. With a failed experiment involving experienced players like Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Willson Contreras, and Sonny Gray, the substantial rebuilding process began. Last offseason, they let Goldschmidt walk in free agency. Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals dealt Contreras and Gray to the Boston Red Sox to reel in a boatload of prospects. Now, they have traded away their everyday third baseman to open the door for their younger players, such as 25-year-old Nolan Gorman. It may also lead to a window of opportunity for top prospect JJ Wetherholt to impress at the big league level before the end of the 2026 season.
