Martial arts, family time and hitting drills: How Arenado weathered uncertain winter

JUPITER, Fla. -- Every time Nolan Arenado felt himself getting overwhelmed by an avalanche of rumors and conjecture about where his baseball future might be heading, he would pour himself into his offseason work to shield himself from the anxious moments.

In many ways, all the work that Arenado put in over the winter -- taxing Muay Thai sparring sessions, agility drills that he previously avoided out of fear of irritating his balky back and hitting drills from Hawaii to California to Texas -- proved to be something of a sanctuary.

The squashed trade to the Astros in mid-December -- a deal that Arenado killed with his no-trade clause because of concerns about that franchise’s direction -- frayed his nerves. Dalliances with the Red Sox and Yankees and a failed attempt to work out something with the defending champion Dodgers didn’t help Arenado’s anxiety, either.

When it all became too much for him, Arenado said he would retreat to the work that he hopes will help him regain the form that made him a 10-time Gold Glove winner and an eight-time All-Star.

Along the way, something odd happened for the 33-year-old third baseman: Arenado re-learned to love the work that made him great in the first place.

“It had to be that way for me,” Arenado said on Friday after putting on a rousing show in batting practice with several long home runs. “I would read things or hear things and if I felt like it was starting to get to me, I would just tell myself, ‘I’m going to go hit or do something and distract myself and get away from it.’

“Whether it was Muay Thai, working out or hanging out with my daughter and my wife, I was trying to stay busy to get away from all the stuff. It was good for me to keep working to kind of stay away from it. But, this time, I really enjoyed the work.”

Never known as a particularly patient person -- neither as a twitchy hitter or off the field -- Arenado’s nerves were put to the test throughout an offseason filled with uncertainty. By now, most are familiar with his saga: He let it be known to a Cardinals club dead-set on rebuilding that he would prefer to play for a championship-contending team, something that sling-shotted him into a whirlwind of trade talk, fiery fan debate and rumors.

Always reluctant in the spotlight, Arenado saw the intensity of his offseason soar when he killed the potential deal to the Astros. Then, possible deals to the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers never materialized, leaving him with the Cardinals.

Noticeably lighter, Arenado is hopeful that his offseason dedication will translate to a big bounce-back season akin to what he produced most recently in 2022 -- a 30-homer, 7.7-WAR campaign that earned him a third-place MVP finish.

Since then, however, Arenado saw his home run totals plunge to 16 last season, and he knew he needed to do something to stem the slide.

“The Muay Thai stuff really helped me a lot because it forced me to get my hips firing again,” said Arenado, who is expected to start at third on Saturday when the Cardinals face the Marlins (Cardinals Radio Network, no TV). “I hit a lot and just tried to work on the right things. I feel like I did that, but I’ve still got some bad habits I have to break.”

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said every time he thought about an Arenado deal this offseason, he feared a big bounce-back season from one of the club’s most driven players.

“I would not bet against him; I’d bet on him,” Mozeliak said.

When he wasn’t sparring or fielding grounders, Arenado stayed active to keep his mind from straying back to his uncertain future. He had a big hand in designing his Nike Diamond baseball shoe line, adding in very personal elements. There is an anchor that Arenado said is a nod to his family always keeping him grounded, and hues of blue and tan to represent the ocean and beaches of his native Southern California.

With trade talks subsided for now, Arenado’s focus is on showing he can still be one of the game’s great stars. Long-term goals, such as 400 homers -- he enters 2025 with 341 -- and cinching his Hall of Fame candidacy are also top of mind.

“I’ve got a lot of goals, and I truly feel in my heart I can achieve all of them,” he said. “I think about [the Hall of Fame] and I’d love to accomplish that. But just like with the trade stuff, when I start thinking about it, I remind myself that I need to get back to work.”