Nolan Arenado recruited St. Louis Cardinals to get him

It was no secret that Nolan Arenado wanted to get away from the Colorado Rockies. After the front office torched that bridge when they attempted to trade him in the 2019-20 offseason, Arenado had had enough. It was time to go, and he had a destination in mind – the St. Louis Cardinals.

Although he could not speak to the front office directly, Arenado still managed to recruit his future franchise. He sent the occasional video to pitcher Adam Wainwright with the message to show the clips to general manager John Mozeliak.

Nolan Arenado recruited St. Louis Cardinals

Chances are, even with a down year in 2020, Arenado did not need to work hard to sell himself. His impressive blend of defense and excellent hitting would be coveted by any team outside of Colorado. With the Cardinals needing help at the hot corner, trading for Arenado made perfect sense.

This is particularly the case given his resume. He had produced a .293/.349/.541 batting line with 237 homers and 263 doubles during his time in Colorado, leading the league in homers three times. A five time All Star, he has also won the Gold Glove at third in every one of his major league seasons, saving 77 runs and taking home the Platinum Glove for four consecutive years.

To this point, the trade is working out well for St. Louis. Arenado has fit perfectly in the lineup with ten hits, including two doubles and a homer, in his 30 plate appearances. His presence defensively has also been a factor for the Cardinals, as they had gotten off to a 5-2 start to the season.

It also helps that Arenado is where he wants to be. His struggles in 2020 could be explained by his being in a bad situation, playing for a team that no longer wanted him while he was looking to leave. It is not a surprise that Arenado appears rejuvenated in his new surroundings.

Nolan Arenado wanted to be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, to the point where he essentially recruited the team to come get him.