Nolan Arenado trade: How does it look for Rockies, Cardinals two years later?

Depending on how you look at it, the blockbuster trade that sent All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies to the St. Louis Cardinals on this day two years ago is a gift that keeps on giving … or a travesty. Want to take a guess which team is the former and which is the latter?

Judging by how Arenado’s 2022 went (a third-place NL MVP finish and a staggering 154 OPS+ for the season), it seems very apparent that the St. Louis Cardinals came away with a heist. Sorry, Rockies fans. The obvious had to be stated.

Revisiting the Nolan Arenado trade between the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals on its two-year anniversary

For a bit of added context, let’s rehash the details of the trade:

Yikes. Where do we even begin on the Rockies’ side?

Only two of the assets they acquired for Nolan Arenado have cracked the big leagues: Austin Gomber and Eleheuris Montero. It feels pointless to harp on the other players that haven’t made an impact yet, since we already realize how lopsided this trade truly was.

Gomber was ineffective in 2022, posting a 5.56 ERA in Colorado’s starting rotation (17 starts) and some appearances out of the bullpen totaling 33 games. Fortunately, the southpaw’s 2021 was at least somewhat respectable, as he had a 4.53 ERA in 23 starts. That amounted to an above-average 106 ERA+ given that his home park of Coors Field is a fly-ball haven. But still, this production isn’t something the St. Louis Cardinals were going to miss, despite their own rotation issues. They’ll take Arenado every day of the week.

As for Eleheuris Montero, his big league sample size with the Rockies was rather limited in 2022. In his brief stint, Montero posted a meager .702 OPS across 176 at-bats, though did flash a bit of pop with six home runs in that span. He may have a place on the 2023 Rockies, but he wouldn’t on a 2023 Cardinals team that will have Paul Goldschmidt, Tommy Edman, Arenado and Brendan Donovan ranging around their infield.

So how does the Nolan Arenado trade look two years later for both the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals? The results couldn’t be more clear. And the lopsidedness of this exchange should continue to rear its ugly head for the Rox in 2023, while massively aiding the Cards.