Nolan Arenado Fantasy Stats

Before the St. Louis Cardinals traded veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Athletics had a deal in place for him, people briefed on the discussions told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The A's were set to absorb more money than the D-backs, who will pay Arenado $11 million of the $42 million he's owed the next two seasons. However, Arenado preferred Arizona or the San Diego Padres, and he wouldn't necessarily approve a trade to the A's. Now that Arenado is in Arizona, the Athletics plan to use Max Muncy at the hot corner, with Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz also in the mix. If the A's aren't sold on Muncy, they could look to the free-agent market and sign Eugenio Suarez or Yoan Moncada. The 34-year-old Arenado continues to decline offensively with a career-low .237 average and a bottom-10 percentile exit velocity. The move to Arizona is a boost in ballpark factor, but the rest of Arenado's offensive profile doesn't look pretty.

The San Diego Padres were the team besides the Arizona Diamondbacks that "mounted the heaviest pursuit" of Nolan Arenado, people briefed on the talks told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Padres already have Manny Machado entrenched at third base, so the Padres intended for Arenado to play first base. However, the Padres were unwilling to take on as much of Arenado's salary as the D-backs were. Arizona owes Arenado $1 million less than the White Sox gave left-hander Anthony Kay in the final two years of Arenado's contract. The Padres have payroll concerns, so they might have been trying to land Arenado for something close to the minimum salary. The 34-year-old has been on a three-year offensive decline. He had an xwOBA under .300 for the second straight year, and his exit velocity was in the bottom-10th percentile. Arenado is still strong defensively and makes a lot of contact, but moving to first base will make him even less attractive in fantasy.

The Los Angeles Angels have shown interest in St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Arenado's performance has steadily declined over the past few seasons, and the Cardinals appear to be entering a rebuild. St. Louis has already moved on from veterans such as right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras. In 2025, Arenado slashed .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs, 52 RBI, and 48 runs scored across 436 plate appearances. His 84 wRC+ was the lowest mark of his career outside of his 2013 rookie season. The 34-year-old also missed time with a shoulder injury, limiting him to just 107 games. For a trade to be possible, Arenado would need to waive his no-trade clause, and it remains unclear whether he would be willing to do so to return to his native Southern California. Earlier this week, the Angels restructured the contract of oft-injured third baseman Anthony Rendon, thus making a trade for Arenado more plausible. While Arenado is no longer the elite offensive force he once was, he remains an above-average defender with solid contact skills. If traded to Los Angeles, he would likely play every day and hit in the middle of the lineup. From a fantasy perspective, Arenado currently carries an ADP of around 580, making him essentially free in drafts. That price makes him a reasonable late-round flyer as a corner infielder or bench bat in 15-team leagues. If Arenado is moved, then the Cardinals' top prospect, J.J. Wetherholt, would have a greater chance of making the club out of spring training. Keep Wetherholt on your fantasy radar for 2026.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) is set to rejoin the team ahead of the game against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Arenado appears ready to return after playing in a pair of games at Double-A Springfield. The veteran slugger has been sidelined since early August due to a right shoulder strain. The assumption is that he'll be activated and in the starting lineup on Monday. Fantasy managers should check back for official confirmation ahead of Monday's game. The 34-year-old offers enough upside to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield on Sept. 9. Arenado, shelved since Aug. 1 with a strained right shoulder, could return for the final couple of weeks of the season. Thanks to both Arenado's injury and a decline in performance, this has been the worst season of the 34-year-old's decorated career since his rookie campaign in 2013. The eight-time All-Star has put together a subpar .235/.294/.366 line with 10 homers, 43 RBI, and 43 runs scored over 96 games and 394 plate appearances. Before sitting out all of August, Arenado played in 16 games in July and went an unsightly 10-for-57 (.175) with two RBI.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) is expected to join the team on Wednesday. After that, Arenado will have his injured right shoulder examined by a doctor on Thursday. If everything goes well, Arenado could be cleared to work out with the team ahead of Thursday's contest. The next step would be for Arenado to go on a minor league rehab assignment. Arenado has been sidelined since late July due to a right shoulder strain. The hope is that Arenado can return to the Cardinals lineup by mid-September. Fantasy managers should check back throughout the week for another update on his status.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder), who has been rehabbing in Jupiter, Fla., will return to St. Louis in the coming days to have his right shoulder examined by team doctors, according to manager Oliver Marmol. After that, a determination will be made about a minor-league rehab assignment and a possible return to the big leagues. Arenado is in the early stages of a throwing program, but it's unclear exactly when he might be able to return to the Cardinals. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting much if the 34-year-old veteran is able to return this year. The eight-time All-Star is still excellent on defense at third base, but his power numbers continue to drop and he's currently slashing just .235/.294/.366 with a career-worst .660 OPS and only 10 homers in 96 games. Nolan Gorman will continue to pick up starts at third in St. Louis with Arenado out.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) started hitting earlier this week and has now also begun the early stages of his throwing program in Jupiter, Florida, according to manager Oli Marmol. The veteran has been sidelined since July 30 and was having a very rough year prior to the injury. In 96 games, his triple-slash dropped to .235/.294/.366 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI. While he does still have a little pop in his bat, he remains without a timetable for his return, and he isn't someone who deserves a roster spot in standard mixed leagues. He does seem to be working his way back, though, so he has not closed the book on this season just yet. He has two years remaining on his contract with the Cards and isn't scheduled to hit the open market until 2028.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) has begun a hitting program and will start a throwing program during the week, per the Athletic's Katie Woo. The veteran was placed on the 10-day injured list on August 1 with a right shoulder strain. The 34-year-old has seen a decline in fantasy production this season, slashing .235/.294/.366 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI in 394 plate appearances. He has also seen a decline in his defense after winning 10 Gold Glove Awards in his career. Arenado is currently without a timetable for his return, although fantasy managers may not necessarily want to rely on him down the stretch whenever he does return.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (shoulder) is hopeful to resume hitting as early as Thursday or Friday. Arenado has been rehabbing a right shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined basically all of August. It doesn't sound like he's on the verge of returning, but swinging the bat is a good sign. He'll likely still need a rehab assignment before returning to the Cardinals lineup. That being said, Arenado probably won't be back until some point in September. If possible, fantasy managers should continue to hold Arenado on their IR until he's ready to return.