There's no doubting that Nolan Arenado wants to continue his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. After going 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts on Saturday in his team's season-ending 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, though, St. Louis' star third baseman couldn't help but feel some fans may not want him to return.

Fighting back tears in an emotional post-game locker room, Arenado, who has a player option on his contract for next season, addressed his future with the Cardinals.

“I love it here. I love the guys. I feel like I fit well with this organization,” he said, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I just feel like I fit well here. I think the city appreciates me. Probably not after tonight. I really loved it here. Hopefully we can figure it out.”

Arenado was acquired by St. Louis in a February 2021 trade with the Colorado Rockies. He immediately regained his prior All-Star form with the Cardinals, hitting 34 home runs with 105 RBIs in his debut campaign.

Arenado was even better in 2022, upping his efficiency while maintaining his power en route to a .293 batting average, 30 home runs, 103 RBIs and .533 on-base percentage. The 31-year-old played a stellar third base, too, key for a team that relied on fielding and pitching for much of its success.

Like his team at large, though, Arenado disappointed when it mattered most in the Wild Card round. Before failing to reach base in Saturday's elimination game, he went 1-for-4 in Game 1 against Philadelphia, failing to make the impact befitting a bonafide National League MVP candidate.

Arenado is due a $35 million salary in 2023 if he picks up a player option that would keep him in St. Louis through 2026. Otherwise, he'll hit free agency in a few weeks, due another major payday despite his postseason struggles with the Cardinals.