Nolan Arenado Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after striking out to end the eight inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
MLBBy Arthur Weinstein on

Nolan Arenado is staying put.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that the St. Louis Cardinals third baseman has decided not to opt out of his long-term contract and test the free agent market this offseason.

The perennial All-Star is currently playing under an eight-year, $290 million contract he signed with the Colorado Rockies in 2019. That deal runs through 2027. Arenado, who was traded to St. Louis before the 2021 season, could have opted out of the remaining five years of that deal.

The 31-year-old Arenado enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2022 as the Cardinals won the NL Central. He hit 30 home runs and drove in 103 runs, with a career-high 154 OPS+. He topped National League position players with 7.9 WAR.

He’s also a finalist — and the presumed favorite — to win his 10th Gold Glove when the awards are announced. That would tie him with Mike Schmidt for the second-most Gold Gloves by a third baseman, behind only Brooks Robinson (16).

That kind of performance likely would have earned him a raise as a free agent, but Arenado has decided to stick around. There was enough concern in the Cardinals organization he might opt out that club president John Mozeliak flew to California earlier this week to meet with his star player.

Many fans felt Arenado walked away from a bigger potential payday to stay in a good situation with the Cardinals.

[New York Post]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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