Arenado: 'I haven’t been asked' about waiving no-trade clause

ST. LOUIS -- All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado said on Friday night that he hasn’t been asked to waive the full no-trade clause in his contract by the Cardinals -- or by any other MLB team, for that matter -- but he did hint that the current state of a squad headed for its first losing season in 15 years has clouded his confidence.

Arenado said throughout this season that he waived the opt-out in his contract last fall because he wanted to continue his career with a Cardinals franchise that he felt could help him win his first World Series title. However, the Cardinals have spent most of this season in last place in the NL Central, and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has said the team will sell at the upcoming Trade Deadline.

To move the 10-time Gold Glover, the Cardinals would need Arenado's permission. While he hasn’t been approached about waiving the clause, he declined to say whether he would employ it to block any potential deals the Cardinals might seek as they look to overhaul their roster.

“No, no, I haven’t been asked about anything yet,” Arenado said Friday after the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to the Cubs. “Like I said, I’m just here and going to compete. I’m going to come in here tomorrow ready to work and try to help this team win a ballgame. That’s really all my focus is on right now.”

When asked about a report in the Los Angeles Times that he might be willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to return to his native Southern California and potentially play for the Dodgers, Arenado said: “I mean, I haven’t talked to anybody really, so I don’t know where those reports came from. Like I said, when [Mozeliak] wants to have those conversations, we’ll have them.”

When asked directly if he held the power to squash any trade talk with his no-trade clause being the final veto, Arenado said felt uncomfortable speaking in absolutes about the topic because of the fluid nature of the club around the Deadline.

“I’m not going to speak on it,” Arenado said. “I’m going to go out there tomorrow and try to help us win a ballgame. I’m going to keep repeating the same old nonsense you [media] guys don’t want to hear, but I’m here to win and I’m going to do the best I can tomorrow and that’s what I’m focused on.”

The Cardinals dropped to 46-59 on Friday after Cubs center fielder Mike Tauchman robbed a potential game-winning home run by pinch-hitter Alec Burleson in a season where the Cards were heavy favorites to repeat as NL Central champions. St. Louis started the season 10-24, made a brief charge to within four games of the division lead and then slumped badly again in June and early July.

Despite one of the worst starts of his career -- he had a .582 OPS in April -- Arenado made the MLB All-Star Game for an eighth time. Even after an 0-for-4 outing on Friday, Arenado is hitting .284 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. When asked to discuss his contract situation, Arenado initially declined, but eventually came back into the Cardinals clubhouse to address the topic.

Asked if the current state of the Cardinals had eroded his confidence in the organization’s ability to build a winner around him and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt, Arenado said: “I mean, we’re losing, so I don’t know right now. I don’t look at the future. I look at right now, and that’s what I’m paying attention to. I mean, it’s hard for me to look beyond this year because you never know what happens in a year and you don’t know what happens tomorrow.”

Arenado, 32, said the decision as to where his career heads beyond Tuesday’s Trade Deadline will also depend on the wishes of a Cardinals squad looking to retool its roster.

“I think it’s a business, and they want to find ways to make this team better,” Arenado said. “They’re doing their due diligence about what’s going on and what’s out there [on the trade market] and if we have those discussions, we’ll have them.”

Asked if he could envision any scenario where the Cardinals are better without a player who's had at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in seven seasons, Arenado pointed to the team’s current record and a disappointing personal and team performance on Friday night in the Cardinals' fifth straight loss to the Cubs.

“Right now, we’re not playing very well, so I don’t know,” Arenado said. “I would assume I think I make this team better.”