ST. LOUIS – As the St. Louis Cardinals limp toward the finish line of a disappointing 2025 season, there’s renewed attention to the possibility that veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado could be playing his final games with the team.

Arenado, an eight-time All Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, has long been considered one of the best third baseman of his generation. But from a production standpoint, the 2025 season was arguably the roughest of his career.

Entering the team’s final home series, Arenado is batting .234 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI, numbers that put him on pace at or near career lows in most primary offensive categories.

Arenado just returned from the injured list Monday after missing nearly 40 games with a right shoulder strain. Now 34 years old, Arenado is wrapping up his fifth season with the Cardinals and is still under contract through three more years.

But given recent history, his recent struggles and prolonged return from injury, his future with the Cardinals appears to be very much in question.

The Cardinals are headed toward their second losing season in three years, and already leaned into a cost-cutting, youth-driven approach this season. It was long speculated the Cardinals would move Arenado last winter to support a roster “retool” or “reset” of sorts, but a deal never materialized before spring training.

With uncertainty surrounding the team’s future direction, not very clearly set for playoff contention or a full-scale rebuild, Arenado trade buzz is expected once again this offseason.

That uncertainty is magnified with a looming front-office transition. After the season, longtime lead executive John Mozeliak will step aside and Chaim Bloom will take over as the President of Baseball Operations. Bloom will be tasked with building a future-focused roster, and likely under tight financial constraints like last year.

Whether Arenado fits into the Cardinals’ short-term or long-term vision remains to be seen, raising the possibility that this could be his last homestand in St. Louis.

Arenado briefly addressed his situation with St. Louis media members earlier this week:

“It seems like that’s where this organization is headed,” said Arenado before Monday’s game, referring to the Cardinals’ emphasis on younger players. “But what’s best for me is probably to come back healthy and show that I’m hitting the ball hard. But I think what this organization is heading toward is young players and letting them go. That just comes with the territory, and I see it.”

Arenado would ultimately have the final in any potential move out of St. Louis, as he carries a full no-trade clause. Last year, he limited his list of acceptable trade destinations to a small handful of teams and reportedly even blocked one deal nearing completion.

This offseason, while it’s possible he has potential trade preferences again, the situation could look different.

With or without Arenado, the Cardinals infield outlook already looks crowded next season. Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, and possibly even top prospect JJ Wetherholt, among other, will all compete for everyday opportunities. In theory, the depth could increase the likelihood of a trade.

Still, there’s at least some chance Arenado stays put, as suggested by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold in a recent live blog.

“Arenado’s list [of preferred trade destinations] is limited. And he’s been candid about how he has to play better to be more appealing to teams. Can that happen in the next few weeks, or will the Cardinals cover enough of his salary for a team to make that move? Those are real questions. And in the end, it’s possible that he prefers staying here to bouncing around to the unknown out there.”

The Cardinals (74-79) open their final home series of the 2025 regular season on Friday against the NL-leading Milwaukee Brewers (94-59). The Cardinals will close the 2025 campaign with road series against the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs next week.