With Chaim Bloom taking over as president of baseball operations, the St. Louis Cardinals were bound to make changes to their roster. That process began when they traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox.
He won't be the only veteran St. Louis decides to deal away. The Cardinals haven't made the playoffs since 2022. The franchise was forced to take a serious look at themselves in the mirror. What they realized is that running it back with the same squad would be a pointless exercise.
Because of the Cardinals' newfound mentality, expect Nolan Arenado to be traded as well. He has been the focus of trade rumors dating back to the beginning of the 2025. But with St. Louis essentially waiving the white flag, Arenado would rather play for a contender. It seems likely he'd be more willing to waive his no-trade clause for more teams.
The Los Angeles Angels may not be seen as a serious contender just yet. However, they proved they're willing to be active by trading for Grayson Rodriguez. If the Angels can sell Arenado on the idea they're on the upswing, they would be the perfect trade partner for the Cardinals to target.
Cardinals must trade Nolan Arenado to Angels
There is nothing particularly outstanding about the Angels' farm system. They have two players in the top 100 prospects, via MLB Pipeline; and they're both ranked lower than No. 90. It's not likely Los Angeles would dangle either at Arenado, but it's not the high end capital the Cardinals should be trading.
Of all the teams in the Arenado market, the Angels may be the ones most eager to trade. Barring overloaded contracts, it may be difficult for Los Angeles to attract any of the top free agents. Trading for Arenado gives the Angels another big bat and a veteran their youngsters can lean on.
Furthermore, they have a clear need at the hot corner. It is apparent that Anthony Rendon is done with the Angels and seemingly baseball overall. Yoan Moncada was oft-injured in 2025 and is now a free agent. Los Angeles wouldn't have to shuffle much around to get Arenado in the lineup.
Perhaps the biggest kicker is that Arenado is from Newport Beach, California. Of the two LA teams, he would prefer to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the opportunity to return home may be too good to pass up at this stage of his career.
For the Cardinals, the biggest goal when trading Arenado is simply getting the most value back they can. At their current stage, the Angels seem most capable of affording a trade. It's difficult to say whether or not the presence of Arenado would make the Angels a playoff team. However, a deal would get Los Angeles closer to their current goals as St. Louis continues building for the future.
