Getty
The Cardinals have traded Nolan Arenado to the Diamondbacks.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been trying to trade Nolan Arenado for quite some time now. It was not an easy situation, so the Cardinals had to be patient in their efforts to trade him. But St. Louis was finally able to find a trade partner for their Gold Glove third baseman.
As reported by multiple outlets, including Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Cardinals have traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez.
BREAKING: The Arizona Diamondbacks are acquiring eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, sources tell ESPN. Arenado has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and the deal is done.
First to say the deal was close was @katiejwoo.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that the Cardinals will pay $31 million of the remaining $42 million on Arenado’s contract.
Who is Jack Martinez?
It seems like the Diamondbacks did not have to give up a lot in order to acquire Arenado. However, both Arenado and the Cardinals wanted to get a deal done, so sacrifices had to be made. But Jack Martinez is a pitching prospect with a lot of upside.
The right-hander was drafted in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB draft out of Arizona State University. He did not make a pro ball appearance after being drafted, but St. Louis still thought enough of him to make the trade happen.
While at Arizona State for his senior year, Martinez started 15 games. In those games, he threw 77.1 innings and struck out 110 batters. He walked 33 batters and hit 10 more in those innings, which is a reason for his ERA being north of 5.00 during his final year of college ball.
Still, Martinez showed a lot of potential.
His draft profile notes a funky delivery that could see him move to the bullpen. But a four-pitch mix makes him a starter. Martinez has a fastball that runs up to 97 mph, but sits consistently in the 93-95 mph range. Along with that, his changeup has a split-diving action, while also featuring a slider and curveball.
Cardinals Ready to Move On and Rebuild
Arenado gave the Cardinals a solid five years. He helped the team reach the postseason twice, but the last time being 2021. Still, his contributions to the organization should be appreciated. The 34-year-old won three Gold Gloves in St. Louis, earned a Silver Slugger award, and finished third in the NL MVP voting in 2022.
With the Cardinals, Arenado slashed .266/.322/.456 with 118 home runs, 424 RBI, and an 18.1 WAR over five seasons. He was an imperative part of the team for a long time, but it was time for the Cardinals to move on. Replacing him at third base will most likely be Norman Gorman, as Jordan Walker has become a full-time outfielder.
The rebuild may just be beginning, though. St. Louis traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox earlier this offseason. Brendan Donovan seems to be next on the list of players to be traded after the Arenado deal.
With the rebuild ensuing, the Cardinals have to be careful not to let it drag out. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten better this offseason. The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers remain favorites to win the division, while having a strong core group of players. St. Louis has to make sure they do not fall too far behind.
Nonetheless, the Arenado era at Busch Stadium is officially over.
Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA and MLB for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI – part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel
