The St. Louis Cardinals' season has been a tale of two halves. Before the All-Star break, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol had his team in position to shock people. Since then, St. Louis slipped in the standings and are on the brink of elimination. Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado led the team to a win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, hoping to spark a playoff push.
Arenado was a name popular in trade rumors months before the July 31 deadline. However, he was one of the few veterans who survived it and remained with his original team. The veteran third baseman has had his moments with the Cardinals this season. However, he is far from the player he used to be. After a year of dealing with rumors, it looks like he has embraced his situation.
While Arenado's future could send him almost anywhere this winter, the infielder's focus is on this season. He spoke with St. Louis Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Could about his perspective. According to him, he wants to put on a show in what has the potential to be the last home series of his St. Louis career.
“I definitely come to the ballpark with it in mind – this could be the last time playing at home,” Arenado said. “I would like to go out there and compete, have good at-bats, play some good defense, and at least give them something good to remember.”
Marmol and the Cardinals front office have some big decisions to make this offseason. The National League Central is no longer up for grabs with teams like the Brewers and Chicago Cubs dominating. Milwaukee has its sights set on 100 wins and the Cubs figure to be playoff contenders for years to come.
Arenado is one of the top trade candidates in the league this winter. If he goes to a new team, he wants to end his time as a Cardinal on a high note.
