SAN FRANCISCO — There was the moment orchestrated by his manager Sunday to assure Nolan Arenado received one final ovation as he left Busch Stadium’s field, and there is conversation with the new front office the third baseman has planned in the near future. There were the pangs of nostalgia he felt throughout the most recent homestand and then the questions posed to him at the end of it.
One asked whether these games seemed like his last as a Cardinal.
“It’s starting to really feel like it,” Arenado said.
For the second consecutive offseason, the Cardinals intend to seek out a trade for their 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, according to multiple people with knowledge of the team’s plans. The Cardinals are motivated to either trim or reallocate payroll as Chaim Bloom takes over as president of baseball operations and also free up an infield spot for a young player.
Which young player becomes the next question.
Really feels like it’s still wide open for discussion – and competition.
The Cardinals gave Nolan Gorman the slugger’s share of playing time at third while Arenado was on the injured list. Other options for the position include Brendan Donovan, who won his Gold Glove Award in 2022 in part because of his superb play at third; Thomas Saggese, who is currently starting at shortstop; and top prospect JJ Wetherholt.
The Cardinals had Wetherholt start playing third base recently for Class AAA Memphis, where he’s mostly started at shortstop. If the Cardinals are able to trade Arenado they’ll consider third base as a spot for Wetherholt to make his big-league debut in 2026.
Manager Oli Marmol refrained from discussing future candidates for third base, highlighting instead the quality of fielder Arenado has been there. He referred to Arenado defensively as “the best third baseman to ever play the game.” Whenever the Cardinals look for an heir at third, Marmol described a player who plays above average defense and “can grow into a really productive, positive offensive profile as well.”
In the first inning late Monday night against the Giants, Arenado was tagged with a tough error when he had to hurry a throw and first baseman Alec Burleson didn’t scoop it cleanly. That error ended Arenado’s streak at 73 consecutive games without one – the longest active streak for a third baseman and the longest streak of his platinum-plated career. Pending any reconsideration of the scorer’s decision, Arenado came 12 games shy of the Cardinals’ record of 85 consecutive games at third without an error set by Gary Gaetti from 1997-98.
Defense was where the Cardinals missed Arenado the most during his monthlong stint on the injured list. His absence showed up in hits pitchers allowed and errors fielders committed.
After some initial throwing mistakes at the position, Gorman found his footing and played reliably. Gorman was drafted as a third baseman and played there until shifting to second base when the Cardinals acquired Arenado. His 401 1/3 innings at third are second only to Arenado’s this season, but Gorman’s minus-3 Defensive Runs Saved and six errors at third are the most by a Cardinal. Thomas Saggese played 117 innings at third. Jose Fermin is the only other Cardinal with at least 21 innings at the position.
Donovan started regularly at second base this season as he played through turf toe. Donovan is two years removed from elbow surgery, and the Cardinals have said they’re comfortable with his arm health to play him at third if needed in 2026.
The Cardinals drafted Wetherholt as a shortstop, and he’s played primarily there as a pro. He saw 20 games combined at Class AA and Class AAA at second base, where he might eventually put down roots in the majors. And he’s played 12 games at third for Memphis this season. Wetherholt’s defense has been sturdy, his footwork improving.
His bat has been lively.
On the way to winning Baseball America’s Cardinals’ minor-league player of the year honor, Wetherholt has hit .306 with a .931 OPS. He hit .314 with a .978 OPS at Triple-A Memphis, where he finished his first full pro season.
Arenado outlined this other reason Sunday why the Cardinals would look to trade him by describing how the team is steering into a youth movement. He said he was “in the way of that.” With two years remaining on his contract, and close to $40 million owed by the Cardinals, Arenado would welcome a chance to pursue a championship. Armed with a no-trade clause, he has all of the power to OK a move once the Cardinals determine how much of his salary they’ll cover for the new team.
“This team, this organization, needs to go to a different route,” Arenado said.
And who plays third after him will reveal that direction.
Winn’s surgery set
Shortstop Masyn Winn is set to for surgery Thursday to repair damage to the meniscus in his right knee. Winn will have a consultation Wednesday with the surgeon and then undergo the procedure the next day in Dallas, Marmol confirmed Monday. Winn sought a second opinion on a scan taken of his knee this past week, and the surgery recommended is the one expected by a Cardinals – an arthroscopic procedure to address a slight tear of the meniscus.
Winn had similar surgery during high school, he said.
The recovery is not expected to interrupt or delay his preparation for the 2026 season, and he’ll be able to do baseball activities and agility work well before reporting to spring training.
Winn played the final three months of the regular season with inflammation and soreness in the right knee. He met with medical officials routinely and had multiple scans of the joint taken to assure he was not at risk of doing more damage. Winn received an anti-inflammatory injection over the All-Star break that eased some of the pain and allowed him to play deeper into September.
In his second full season in the majors, Winn hit .253 with a .363 slugging percentage and a 2.2 Wins Above Replacement, down from 4.9 WAR in his rookie season. Winn is expected to be a finalist for the Gold Glove Award, and his advanced statistics should make him a favorite for the honor. He leads all NL fielders with 22 Outs Above Average and is second in the majors. Ballots went out to coaches and managers in the past week, and Winn’s three errors shine when compared to his peers, as does all-time best fielding percentage for a Cardinals shortstop. But the Gold Glove’s internal metrics rank Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts ahead of Winn.
The vote of coaches and managers is one portion of how the honor is determined.
Donovan scratched
Donovan was a late scratch Monday night from the starting lineup due to soreness and stiffness related to his recent return from the injured list. The Cardinals are going to go day to day with their All-Star infielder through the remainder of the season. They hope he’ll return to the lineup Tuesday night and play the majority of the remaining games.
Donovan missed more than a month with a sprained two – or turf toe, as it’s sometimes called – and groin soreness that was related to compensating for the foot pain.
In his absence, Jose Fermin started at second base and had two doubles. Lars Nootbaar moved up to lead off against Giants right-hander and former Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.
Ivan Herrera’s two-run shot in the fifth inning ties the game and pushes the Cardinals through a seesaw exchange for a 6-5 victory late Monday at Oracle Park.
Hello everyone. Happy Monday. Welcome to today’s Cardinals chat at STL Today dot come. Post-…
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Derrick Goold | Post-Dispatch
Lead baseball writer
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