The St. Louis Cardinals’ top priority this winter is to reduce payroll as they look to rebuild the franchise and fix their broken infrastructure.

Several notable players joined the Cardinals, hoping they’d have a solid chance to chase the twelfth World Series title for St. Louis. Sadly, things haven’t gone according to plan.

Now that the Cardinals are rebuilding, it might be time for a fan favorite to move on with his career. In what would be a heartbreaking blockbuster, an insider predicts St. Louis will part ways with the beloved slugger this winter.

“(Nolan) Arenado may be on the move if he is willing to waive his no-trade clause,”

MLB.com’s Brian Murphy wrote after predicting the Cardinals third baseman as the No. 3 most prominent name to be traded this winter. “The 33-year-old third baseman recorded a 99 OPS+ this season and is owed $52 million over the next three seasons.”

The five-time Silver Slugger batted .272 with 39 extra-base hits including 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .719 OPS in 152 games played for the Cardinals in 2024.I’m

The considerable amount remaining on Arenado’s contract could put the Cardinals in a bind. The gifted infielder is on the books for roughly $21 million in 2025, so he might not be as appealing of a trade candidate as he might’ve been a year ago.

Relinquishing Arenado’s contract from payroll would significantly aid the Cardinals’ rebuilding efforts but they might not receive the haul fans would expect from their favorite player being dealt.

The six-time Platinum Glove defender has been linked to several big-market teams, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

Considering Arenado was the most-sold Cardinals jersey in 2024, this winter could be especially brutal for St. Louis fans. The eight-time All-Star’s future with the 11-time World Series champions doesn’t look promising.