Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Reveals Wrinkle In Astros Trade Talks

The St. Louis Cardinals were in trade rumors all offseason with superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado being at the center of them all.

St. Louis' front office made it clear that it wanted to move Arenado. The eight-time All-Star has a no-trade clause and he shared a list to the organization with teams that he would be interested in. But, Arenado also made it clear he didn't want to just leave for the sake of leaving.

One thing that was somewhat of a surprise was that the Cardinals and Houston Astros actually came to terms on a deal -- or at least was very close to doing so -- but Arenado used his no-trade clause to shut it down. He recently opened up about the trade and his decision.

He also recently spoke with MLB.com's Bill Ladson and shared that he "never said no" to Houston, but instead couldn't make a decision at that time which is part of the reason why the trade fell through.

"Obviously, I respect Houston with what they have done," Arenado said. "They have been one of the best organizations for a very long time. At the time, I never said no (to the trade). At the time, the Astros wanted a decision and I couldn’t make it."

That's perfectly fair. This is Arenado's fifth season with St. Louis. He's been with the team for a while and has a family. It's not just a simple and easy choice. St. Louis is lucky to still have him and he's been off to a great start to the 2025 season.