Nolan Arenado will not withdraw from the Cardinals’ contract

Nolan Arenado I faced another decision not to participate this off season, but just like last yearthe third base star decided to stay in St. Louis. Katie Wu from The Athletic Reports indicate that Arenado told the Cardinals that he would not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, and would now remain with the cards and earn $144 million over the last five years from the deal.

Since Arenado’s numbers for 2021 were a bit below its usual level (.255/.312/.494 at 653 PA), last year’s opt-out pass wasn’t too shocking, however there was some expectation that Arenado might be tempted. Market test to come up with a better platform. The third baseman put himself in the MVP conversation in 2022 by hitting .293/.358/.533 with 30 domestic runs in 620 board appearances, once again reaching the Gold Glove Final as he looks to win his 10th consecutive award.

Arenado turns 32 in April, potentially limiting his odds of adding too much in the way of the years to his current deal. However, it’s easy to see how it could have surpassed its current average annual value of $28.8 million. It is worth noting that his colleague is the third base man Anthony Rendon He managed to secure AAV worth $35 million into his seven-year/245 million dollar contract that he signed with the Angels ahead of the 2020 season, while Freddy FreemanThe six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers last winter exceeds the current Arenado deal in terms of both years and total value.

However, Arenado’s $144 million is no small sum, and he has spoken a lot about his comfort level at St. Louis and his desire to remain a long-term part of the Cardinals’ future. With that stability already in place, Arenado opted to pass free agency, and can now fully focus on 2023 without the extra drama and uncertainty that follows even names on the open market.

With Arenado’s decision now made, the cards have checked another major quest from their off-season quest list, a few days later re-sign Adam Wainwright For the 2023 season. The Cardinals are expected to have plenty of room to make additions to their payroll this season, and not having to allocate additional resources to retaining Arenado would allow St. Louis to do more to deal with other areas on the roster. The starting turnover and the outer field are potential target areas, as well as the obvious step of finding a catcher to replace the retired franchisor. Molina runs.

as such Nick Grok Athlete It is reported that Arenado’s decision also keeps the Rockies with a significant financial commitment. Under the terms of trade, Arenado sent from Colorado to St. 2024-2026. The $16 million planned for Arenado is more than the Rockies would pay any player on their 2023 payroll, except Chris Bryant.

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