The St. Louis Cardinals may have a difficult situation on their hands in the near future.
There appears to be a holdup regarding Nolan Arenado and his opt-out clause.
The Cards acquired him prior to the 2021 season from the Colorado Rockies.
He had an opt-out clause at the end of last season that he chose not to exercise, stating that he planned on being in St. Louis for a long time.
That appears to be less certain now.
Arenado could very well opt out of his deal this year.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Arenado met with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on Monday to see if they could resolve any issues.
Nolan Arenado and Mozeliak met in person on Monday about his opt/out. There is hope for a resolution shortly. #stlcards
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) October 26, 2022
Will Arenado Opt Out?
This may be a bit concerning for Cardinals fans.
Arenado has stated on numerous occasions that he enjoys playing in St. Louis and would like to stay long term.
However, by Goold’s comments, it would seem that something might have changed in recent weeks.
Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt both carried the Cardinals offense this season, putting up MVP-caliber numbers at the plate.
Arenado is also a finalist for a Gold Glove Award, something he has achieved in each of his first nine seasons.
But if Arenado opts out, the Cardinals may be in the market for a corner infield bat.
Fans certainly hope that something can be worked out and that Arenado will decide not to opt out, but based on Goold’s comments, it would seem that it’s a possibility.
NEXT: The Cardinals Are Making Some Serious Changes