Arenado quietly having a great season

[ClassicO]

On pace for 23 home runs and 89 RBIs while playing splendid defense again

The best part is that when he does hit that home run, it's usually late in the game at a time that we really need it to change the trajectory of the momentum to our side.

He's been a winning player, making winning plays on defense and at the plate all year. Nearly 70% of his home runs have come late to tie it, give us the lead or get us back to within 1 in a game we eventually won.

This seems to be lost on a lot of people that live and die by OPS, OPS+ without context. To those, I ask: Do you not watch the games? Do you only watch box scores after the fact?

First Burleson is an elite MLB hitter and now Arenado is having a “great” season?!

Arenado has 10 HR and 39 RBI in 299 PAs. Those are good for T-70th (HR) and T-50th (RBI) and that’s before including his OPS is 133rd among players with at least 200 PAs (208 such players). And his PAs with men on base is the 4th most in baseball at 164, so that is part of the reason he does better in RBIs, he’s had more opportunities than almost any player out there.

Excellent job. I think most would love to move him, but they've seemingly tried a lot, so as long as he's here, I'll root for him.

[boulanger]

once he's gone and they put Gorman at 3rd, we'll be begging for an average player

[cardstatman]

I'm not in the camp of those wanting desparately to trade Arenado.

Why? It would make the 2025 team worse and would not improve 2026 and beyond either. We are not getting a prospect haul for him. All it would do is save Bill DeWitt some money.

However, I do agree with AOF that Arenado has been decidedly average at least until the past couple of weeks.

Arenado wants to play on a team which has a chance the make a playoff run. Interestingly, the old thing keeping the Cardinals from being that team is veteran performances on the field.

Some of the kids are succeeding: Herrera, Donovan, Winn, Burleson, Scott, Saggese, Liberatore, Pallante, McGreevy, Leahy, Romero, Granillo, Svanson

Gray, Fedde, Matz, and Maton are doing their part. If Arenado, Contreras, Mikolas, and Helsley were playing well above average, this team would be decidedly better. These vets are the only thing standing between themselves and a chance at a playoff run.

The good news is that Arenado is definitely playing better recently. It would be awesome if he can extend that for the rest of the season.

[Rosie's Rule]

Right now he is on pace for a 20/80 season and seems be playing solid defense- with clutch hits - that’s not easy to find.

Would rather have him in the lineup as long as the Cards are in the playoff hunt.

[CorneliusWolfe]

He's Alec Bohm defensively. Move him if you can...

Not averse to moving NADO

BUT

He's not "Alec Bohm" defensively, better than him.

NADO
+4 DRS
+3 OAA

Bohm
-2 DRS
+2 OAA

Shocked to see another of his emotional claims disproved by clear concise numbers. Now he’ll get philosophical and tell you numbers are tortured prisoners or some fortune cookie [shirt] and stamp it with a laughy face to REALLY prove you and the facts wrong. Nothing he hates more than a Cardinal having some success.

[AZ_Cardsfan]

I'm not in the camp of those wanting desparately to trade Arenado.

Why? It would make the 2025 team worse and would not improve 2026 and beyond either. We are not getting a prospect haul for him. All it would do is save Bill DeWitt some money.

I know this is an assumption but based on history of Cards spending patterns once they come through this "rebuild" it is fair to assume they would spend appropriately to revenues again. And any money saved not paying Nado could be reallocated to another player. So his salary in 2026-2027 goes back into the pot. It isn't DeWitts money - it is the Cardinals money.

He is also blocking potentially emerging talent such as Gorman (could still emerge despite concerning history), Saggese, JJ Weatherholt.

I'm not desperate to see him gone this year since the savings at this point isn't huge and it is a fun team to watch despite being in a rebuild. And unless he really heats up he won't return a serious prospect. So whatever. Kind of doesn't matter now. Maybe at the AS break there is clarity which way STL is going to go.

[Quincy Varnish]

On pace for 23 home runs and 89 RBIs while playing splendid defense again

The best part is that when he does hit that home run, it's usually late in the game at a time that we really need it to change the trajectory of the momentum to our side.

He's been a winning player, making winning plays on defense and at the plate all year. Nearly 70% of his home runs have come late to tie it, give us the lead or get us back to within 1 in a game we eventually won.

This seems to be lost on a lot of people that live and die by OPS, OPS+ without context. To those, I ask: Do you not watch the games? Do you only watch box scores after the fact?

You’ve decided to convince yourself of an untrue narrative.

He’s hitting .216 with a .620 OPS and 12 RBI on the road
He’s hitting .206 with a .710 OPS w/ 2 outs and RISP
He’s hitting .220 with 4 HR in late & close situations

When they’re ahead, he has hit .230 with 4 HR and 13 RBI
When they’re behind, he has hit .232 with 4 HR and 13 RBI

He’s decidedly average.

He leads the league in WPA

Curious why you believe that to be true. Did someone tell you that and you believed them? Cause they lied.

He’s like 55th among hitters and 130th overall.

My fault. Twitter post I misread. Good catch, I should’ve looked it up.

On the WPA topic… since May 1st, Ivan Herrera trails only Cal Raleigh in WPA. He also leads the majors in Fangraphs “clutch” factor in that span.

[cardstatman]

I'm not in the camp of those wanting desparately to trade Arenado.

Why? It would make the 2025 team worse and would not improve 2026 and beyond either. We are not getting a prospect haul for him. All it would do is save Bill DeWitt some money.

I know this is an assumption but based on history of Cards spending patterns once they come through this "rebuild" it is fair to assume they would spend appropriately to revenues again. And any money saved not paying Nado could be reallocated to another player. So his salary in 2026-2027 goes back into the pot. It isn't DeWitts money - it is the Cardinals money.

He is also blocking potentially emerging talent such as Gorman (could still emerge despite concerning history), Saggese, JJ Weatherholt.

I'm not desperate to see him gone this year since the savings at this point isn't huge and it is a fun team to watch despite being in a rebuild. And unless he really heats up he won't return a serious prospect. So whatever. Kind of doesn't matter now. Maybe at the AS break there is clarity which way STL is going to go.

I agree with you; it is the Cardinals money. But since trading Arenado makes the team worse and even farther from a playoff run in 2025-27, I don't believe the money saved would be reinvested in into the team. You have to realize that getting an average player on the free market is going to cost you $12M or more (unless you are the only team which realizes this player is really average or above. Getting an above average player off the free market is going to cost you more than $20M ($30M for a great player). This is basically what Arenado makes. However, eating some of Arenado's salary to unload him would of course prevent this from happening.

I doubt he is traded unless he requests a trade, which is not likely. Gorman is playing over 50% of the time and the results have not been good. Wetherholt is in AA. Saggese can get Gorman's playing time if they give up on Gorman. Saggese can get Walker's time if they give up on Walker and move Donovan back to corner OF. Arenado is light years better than Gorman and Walker, so Arenado is not the one blocking Saggese. Besides that, we don't know if Saggese is an answer to any long term question anyway.

[Clubmaker2]

as some have pointed out, its one month since

In his last seven games, Arenado is slashing just .172/.194/.310. He's now hitting .247 on the year, with four homers and 18 RBIs.

Arenado has been the cleanup hitter for the Cardinals in every game he's played in this season, but that won't be the case for tonight's game against the Tigers.

Amid his struggles at the plate and with other guys in the order being red-hot while hitting behind him, Arenado went to manager Oli Marmol, asking to be moved down in the order.