“St. Louis Cardinals Lands Elite Scorer! nolan arenado , the ‘Most Dangerous Scorer in High School Baseball,’ Commits to the Cardinals!

When the St. Louis Cardinals succeeded in acquiring Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in early February of 2021, it marked the culmination of a years-long, behind-the-scenes effort that was designed to bring a next-generation Hall of Fame player to St. Louis in pursuit of a championship. Now, not quite four years later, the resetting Cardinals seem more likely than not to find a path for Arenado out of town, and in doing so, would close the book on one of the more disappointing chapters in team history.

With three years and a hair less than $75 million remaining on his contract (not including money owed by the Rockies and some deferments), Arenado’s remaining tab is substantial but not prohibitive. The winter should bring multiple suitors, and the Cardinals should be in a position to present Arenado with multiple potential trades which he will be willing to accept.

Top prospect JJ Wetherholt played exclusively at shortstop for Low-A Palm Beach after the draft, but is unlikely to dislodge Masyn Winn’s glove as he climbs rapidly towards the majors. Either third or second seem to be his most likely eventual destinations, but Wetherholt is unlikely to factor into decisions for the 2025 club. The short term options remain abundant, and the three most obvious are all familiar to Cardinals fans.

Brendan Donovan rebounded from a 2023 elbow surgery to put up a strong season in 2024, acting primarily as the team’s left fielder with cameos at second base. Donovan’s .759 OPS and 14 home runs amounted to a 112 OPS+, making him one of the team’s only above-league-average hitters. In an attempt to protect that elbow, the Cardinals attempted to minimize his positional shuffling in 2024, and he started only five games at third base. In his big league career, he has just 29 starts there compared to 111 at second, where he is likely a somewhat stronger defender. The gap between the two spots is not particularly wide, however, and Donovan’s growth in left field over the course of last season was a demonstration of his ability to improve quickly once dialed in to a specific task. If handed the job at third, it’s certain that he’ll pour all of his effort into improving there as well. Still, Donovan’s fit will be in part determined by how the Cardinals view the future for Nolan Gorman. NOLAN GORMAN After hitting 27 homers in 2023, Gorman’s strikeout rate ballooned past the point of playability in 2024, and he finished the season in the minors. His pure power is rivaled by less than a handful of other players in the St. Louis system, but if the bat doesn’t find the ball, it’s difficult to find him a spot in the lineup.