The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have completed a six-player trade with the Colorado Rockies, acquiring five-time (2015-19) National League All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado and cash considerations in exchange for left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber, infielder Elehuris Montero, right-handed pitcher Tony Locey, infielder Mateo Gil and right-handed pitcher Jake Sommers.
Arenado will retain player options for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and he has agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2027 that would extend his contract to seven years in length.
“Many have heard me say that one of the great things about baseball is that you always have a chance to get better,” stated Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “Today we got better! A deal of this nature, acquiring a player of Nolan’s considerable talents, are the ones that can set you apart in many ways. It certainly shows the commitment of Mr. DeWitt and ownership to continue to give our great fans a team that aims to win – both now and in the future.”
Arenado, 29, regarded as the premier third baseman in Major League Baseball, has won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for eight consecutive seasons (2013-20) to begin his professional career and has been awarded the National League Platinum Glove Award, presented by Rawlings, in each of the last four seasons (2017-20) – honoring him as the league’s best overall defender.
The 6-2, 215-pound California native is tied with former Cardinal Scott Rolen for the third-most Gold Glove Awards by a third baseman in MLB history, trailing only Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson (16) and Mike Schmidt (10), and joins Schmidt and Robinson as the only third basemen to win at least eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards. The superstar third baseman’s four Platinum Glove Awards ties catcher Yadier Molina (2011-12, 2014-15) for the most since the award’s inception in 2011.
A four-time Silver Slugger award recipient (2015-18), the right-handed hitting Arenado has led the National League in home runs three times (2015-16, 2018), and finished in the top-10 in NL MVP voting four seasons (2016-19), including a top-five finish for three consecutive seasons from 2016-18.
Drafted by the Rockies in the 2nd round in 2009 out of El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif., Arenado has compiled a .293/.349/.541 career batting mark with a .890 OPS. He has slugged 235 home runs among his 1,206 career hits while driving in 760 runs in 1,079 games.
Since 2014, Arenado leads all of Major League Baseball in extra-base hits (481), total bases (2,030), RBI (708), and game-winning RBI (93); ranks 2nd in go-ahead RBI (169); 3rd in slugging pct. (.559); 4th in home runs (225); 5th in hits (1,076) and runs scored (600); T-5th in doubles (233); and 8th in OPS (.914).
For the 60-game 2020 season, Arenado led NL third basemen in total chances (163), double plays (19), zone rating (.848), defensive runs saved (15) and defensive WAR (1.7), while ranking second in assists (117), and third in fielding percentage (.982) and putouts (43).
Arenado, who will now be teamed with Paul Goldschmidt, giving the Cardinals one of the games’ top corner infield tandems, was joined by “Goldy” as members of the N.L. All-Star team in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The two also were teammates on USA Baseball’s Gold Medal winning team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Today’s trade with the Rockies is another in a number of headline-grabbing deals between the two teams, that in past years netted the Cardinals All-Star pitcher Darryl Kile (November, 1999) and Hall of Famer Larry Walker (August, 2004). In addition, the Redbirds also employed the services of former Rockies great and perennial All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday for seven-plus seasons (2009-16), including their 2011 World Championship campaign.
