For much of the offseason, a trade seemed inevitable. But spring training is now rolling along and hes still a Cardinal. Today, takes an extensive look at the twists and turns of the winter. Many of the details came out over the past few months but the piece also provides some new tidbits and extra context. Arenados no-trade clause was clearly a key part of the offseason narrative and the clubs efforts to trade him. Reports throughout the winter suggested there E'Twaun Moore Jersey was a narrow group of clubs he was willing to join, which Woo confirms in her overview. Arenado told president of baseball operations John Mozeliak that he was willing to waive his no-trade for five clubs: the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Red Sox and Astros. The first three clubs on that list never seemed especially interested. The Yankees were focused on at the start of the offseason. After mi sing out there, they pivoted to getting , , and . The Dodgers have at third and didnt seem keen on a switch. The Padres have at the hot corner. Arenado was reportedly willing to move to a new position but the Friars have budgetary concerns that made a fit tough regardle s. Its well known by now that the Astros were interested and seemed to have a deal lined up, but Arenado blocked it. Reporting has suggested that Arenado was open to going to Houston but was a bit concerned by the club trading and seemingly moving on from . Woos reporting aligns with that framing, with Arenado wanting some time to think about the po sibility of becoming an Astro. She writes that he was aware they might move on while he was taking some time to ponder the idea, which is what happened. They quickly signed to cover first base, which effectively locked into the third base spot. That left the Red Sox as the best landing spot for Arenado, with Boston genuinely interested. However, they bolstered their infield by waiting out Bregman and signing him, taking them out of the running for Arenado. Woo reports that other clubs checked in about Arenados availability, including the Royals, Tigers, Mariners and Angels. Those were all sensible on-paper landing spots. The Royals were looking to add a big bat to the lineup and could bump to a utility role. The Tigers were involved in the Bregman market, making him a six-figure offer, clearly indicating a willingne s to add an established third baseman ahead of prospect . The infield had been a target for the Mariners this winter, who eventually added and re-signed . The Angels were looking to add at third base with no longer reliable, eventually signing . However, none of those clubs made progre s with the Cardinals, as they were informed that Arenado wasnt interested in waiving his no-trade protection for them. All of that led to Mozeliak recently declaring that Arenado would stay a Cardinal, suggesting that he would have to change his team preferences in order for a deal to come together. That doesnt seem likely to come to pa s. Arenado has a two-year-old kid and is apparently only open to uprooting his family under very specific circumstances. Its long been reported that Arenado is primarily motivated by winning but it appears that his off-field circumstances are also playing a notable role in his decision making. I dont see myself changing that list ever, Arenado said. I have a family now. To be willing to pick up my family and move them, it has to be something thats worth it. Thats his right as a player with a no-trade clause, though it leaves the Cardinals in an awkward spot. They are doing a reset, trying to turn the franchise away from upgrading the big league roster to a focus more on player development. Its unclear how long it will take them to make a full-throated attempt at competing again. For now, Arenado is still on the team, which his contract running through 2027. Hell be 36 years old in the final year of that pact. Its po sible a trade could come together at the deadline or in another offseason, but it seems it would have to involve a change at one of Arenados preferred destinations. Muncy is in the final guaranteed year of his deal, so perhaps a move to the Dodgers for 2026 is po sible, though they could keep Muncy around for 26 via a $10MM club option. Goldschmidt is only on a one-year deal, so the Yankees might have more interest in an infield addition next winter. Bregman could opt out of his Boston deal, though they have a number of infield prospects likely to be coming up this year. Perhaps the Padres would have interest next winter after , and hit free agency, with having the change to opt-out as well. A significant injury or two could always change the calculus somewhere. If something comes up and it makes sense, Ill certainly get with him and well talk about it, Mozeliak said over the weekend. But its not something where Im getting up every morning and chasing the waiver wire or chasing injuries. I think from our fan perspective, from our team perspective, from our perspective, he is a part of the Cardinals. Its an interesting end to an offseason where Mozeliak regarded an Arenado trade as a top priority. The Cards wanted to reduce payroll and open up some playing time for younger players. They could have dropped the payroll in other ways, such as by trading guys like or , but havent shown much interest in doing that in the short term. Perhaps the Cardinals will end up being one of the most interesting clubs to watch when the July deadline rolls around, whether Arenado is likely to move or not. Charles Barkley Jersey