The Diamondbacks were missing Alex Bregman and turned to another experienced veteran.
Arizona acquired eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado for pitching prospect Jack Martinez, the Cardinals announced Tuesday afternoon.
Arenado, 34, has two years left on his contract and the Cardinals will pay $31 million of the remaining $42 million of the deal. according to The Athletic.
The 10-time Gold Glover reportedly waived his no-trade clause to return to the NL West after spending the first eight years of his career with the Rockies.
The Cardinals have been open to a move for Arenado for quite some time after heavy rumors swirled last season, and they finally found a trade partner in what could be seen as a salary dump.
Arizona was linked to Bregman earlier this season in an effort to improve its offense, but he agreed to a five-year deal with the Cubs over the weekend.
Arenado now heads to the desert to man the hot corner at a much lower price, but with much more concern about his level of play.
The veteran posted career-worst marks in batting average (.237), on-base percentage (.289), slugging percentage (.377) and OPS (.666) while hitting just 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 102 games.
He finished with an 87 OPS-plus, indicating he was a below-average player.
Arizona is a hitter-friendly park and may be able to boost his bat and even if he doesn’t rebound, there isn’t much downside to what is a two-year, $11 million pact.
Arenado makes up for that offensive decline by still being a strong defender and posting more than three zeros above average last year. according to Fangraphs.
He spent five years with the Cardinals after being acquired in a trade and hit .266 with a 778 OPS while earning three All-Star bids, two Gold Gloves and a third-place finish in the 2022 NL MVP voting.
While Arizona hopes he can help guide a return to the playoffs after back-to-back misses following the unexpected 2023 World Series run, the Cardinals continue to build for the future.
St. Louis traded veterans Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras – both to Boston – and has now opened up a new position for a youthful player.
Utility\man Brendan Donovan could be an intriguing trade option for teams missing out on both Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker.
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