The St. Louis Cardinals finally pulled the trigger on the inevitable Nolan Arenado trade, sending the veteran third baseman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for just one prospect in pitcher Jack Martinez, whom the Diamondbacks drafted in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
The Cardinals ate $31 million of the remaining $42 million on Arenado’s deal, which runs until the 2027 season.
Considering how Arenado’s production has declined over the past few years, the Cardinals had to absorb the vast majority of the remaining dollars on the 34-year-old’s contract just so they could get something of value in return and not just dump his contract for the sake of it.
But this did not sit well with former Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn, who believes that St. Louis absolutely should have gotten a better deal for their anchor at the hot corner.
“I absolutely f-ing hate it. And here’s why. I hate the amount of money that was given up for one prospect that was drafted in the eighth round last year. It’s a big what-if.
Arizona got Nolan Arenado for $11 million over the next two years,” Lynn said on the Cardinals Territory podcast.
Did Cardinals get shafted in the Nolan Arenado trade?
The Cardinals have made it clear that they were going to trade Arenado at all costs, and this seems to have contributed to the decline in his trade value.
Arenado’s no longer a quality hitter; he put up an OPS of .666 last year, which was his worst as a professional yet.
At 34 years of age, any hope of a rebirth is not looking very good. But he’s still a solid defender and a good presence in the locker room, and the Diamondbacks have to be pleased to get him at a value of $11 million all while giving up someone who’s so far away from being a known commodity.
Lynn isn’t the kind of player who tiptoes around uncomfortable truths. He never has been. His career has been defined by intensity, by a visible refusal to soften edges for the sake of optics.
So when he made it clear how much he despised the idea of moving Arenado, it wasn’t surprising in tone. What surprised people was how clearly it exposed the emotional cost of trade rumors inside a clubhouse.
Because to Lynn, this wasn’t about contracts or flexibility.
It was about identity.
It suggests a willingness to loosen the grip on excellence.
To accept a future that might be more flexible, but less demanding.
And for veterans who built their careers on urgency and expectation, that feels like erosion.
The Cardinals have long sold themselves as an organization that values continuity and culture. Arenado embodies both.
His work ethic doesn’t fluctuate. His standards don’t bend with circumstances. When you remove a player like that, you don’t just replace production. You risk replacing tone.
