Cards set for Arenado's arrival: 'Operating the whole time as if he's going to be here'
John Denton
@JohnDenton555JUPITER, Fla. -- Unquestionably, the Cardinals think they are a more dynamic team with the services of 10-time Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado continuing to man third base, especially with him coming into the 2025 season motivated and feeling as if he has something to prove.
But those Cardinals are also a very different team with Arenado, who sought a trade to a championship-contending club this offseason but remains a member of the rebuilding Cardinals following a rejected deal with Houston in mid-December and free agent Alex Bregman signing with Boston to kill another potential landing spot. Stymied on every attempt to trade Arenado, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made clear his frustrations and said on Thursday that Arenado is likely to be on St. Louis¡¯ Opening Day roster.
After spending much of the past 4 1/2 months pondering life after Arenado, the Cardinals are now having to do an about face and brace for the superstar¡¯s expected arrival at Spring Training on either Saturday or Sunday. Undoubtedly, Arenado¡¯s return -- one of the most compelling storylines in baseball because of his lofty status as a likely future Hall of Famer -- will cause massive reverberations up and down St. Louis¡¯ lineup.
¡°It definitely has a trickle-down effect, but we¡¯ve been operating the whole time as if he¡¯s going to be here,¡± said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, who has been working off parallel game plans -- one with Arenado in the fold and one without. ¡°Does [Arenado¡¯s presence] impact an infielder or an outfielder? Absolutely. As we get through camp, there will be more clarity with that based mainly on health. But there are no decisions that have to be made today.¡±
Eager to begin a roster reset where the focus was supposed to be on creating extended playing time opportunities for their young core, the Cardinals anticipated turning the third-base job over to lefty slugger Nolan Gorman and Minor League standout Thomas Saggese. As long as Arenado is a Cardinal, Gorman will primarily be at second base, the position he has played the past three seasons. As for Saggese, one of the top hitters in the most recent Arizona Fall League, could start the season with Triple-A Memphis instead of St. Louis.
Gorman, who is looking to get his career back on track after seeing his strikeout rate soar to 32.7 percent in 2024, said he took ground balls at several infield positions to ready himself for this season.
¡°Every offseason, I don¡¯t just stick to one position when I¡¯m taking ground balls,¡± said Gorman, who came up through baseball as a strong-armed third baseman. ¡°Even if I know I¡¯m going to be at second, I¡¯m not just taking ground balls there because I want to keep my athleticism.¡±
If Arenado is at third base and Gorman is slotted into second, defensive ace Brendan Donovan likely would shift to the outfield. That could upset an outfield of expected starters Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker and Michael Siani. The Cardinals have been vocal about their desires to give long runways of playing time to Nootbaar and Walker so that they can potentially find their ceilings as players, while Siani became a favorite of Marmol¡¯s in 2024 with the difference-making defense he played in center field.
Donovan, a Gold Glove winner in 2022 and a Gold Glove finalist in ¡¯24 as a utility fielder, said he is willing to handle whatever role the Cardinals need him in whether Arenado is in the mix or not.
¡°Part of my military upbringing is to try and be ready for any and all circumstances,¡± said Donovan, who noted that he will be better equipped to play some third base and right field in 2025 after fully recovering from surgery on his right elbow late in the 2023 season. ¡°I just want to be prepared and try to be the best version of myself.
¡°There were points last year when I started to get a little fatigued [in my throwing arm], but I do feel great now. I feel like I¡¯ve gotten back that arm strength I was missing out on.¡±
Mozeliak said throughout trade talks with other teams, he was concerned about missing out on a strong bounce-back season from Arenado, who saw his home run total dip to 16 last year. The slugger spent major chunks of his winter working in MMA programs, in yoga sessions and with weight-training in hopes of returning his quick-twitch swing that allowed him to jump on fastballs.
¡°I would not bet against him; I¡¯d bet on him,¡± Mozeliak said of Arenado. ¡°And I was afraid someone else was going to get that if we traded him. He¡¯s a special player, and he can still do things that many can¡¯t.¡±