Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has watched several teammates play into their age-40 seasons in recent years, but he tells MLB.com’s John Denton that as things stand right now, he’s not planning to follow Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright down that path. Arenado tells Denton he’d like to play until age 38 — long enough that his infant daughter can eventually watch him play in the Majors. Calling it quits at 38 would also give Arenado an earlier path to spending more time with his young family, of course. As you’d expect, Arenado qualifies that the age-38 plan is subject to change, noting that his body, on-field performance and other factors will play sizable roles in the decision as time passes.
On a surely related note, Arenado talks with Denton about the intensity with which he prepares for and plays the game, acknowledging that it can take a toll on him. Arenado wonders whether that intensity can be “too much” for both his own psyche and, at times, his teammates, adding: “I actually need to relax more.” It’s an interesting look at Arenado’s personality, mentality and place within the organization. Cards fans — and, more broadly, fans of Arenado in general — will want to check it out in full.
A few more items pertaining to the Cards…
- Infielder Jose Fermin has a strained quadriceps and will be shut down for at least the next two weeks, manager Oli Marmol announced to reporters this morning (Twitter link via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Acquired in a November trade with the Guardians, the 23-year-old Fermin (24 late this month) has been competing for a bench spot, but this injury all but eliminates the possibility of him landing on the Opening Day roster. He’s out to a 1-for-8 start thus far in Grapefruit League play and is coming off a shaky .215/.336/.322 showing in 330 Triple-A plate appearances a year ago. Even while struggling in Triple-A, however, Fermin fanned at a tiny 13.9% clip against a hearty 12.7% walk rate. He’s long drawn praise for his bat-to-ball skills, above-average speed and above-average defensive potential. He has very little power, but a healthy Fermin could seemingly make the Cardinals as a versatile utility player with a knack for putting the ball in play. He’s in the first of three minor league option seasons and is already on the 40-man roster, so he could potentially impact the team’s bench mix for several years.
- Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat takes a thorough look at the Cardinals’ pitching depth, noting that this is the deepest staff of arms the Cards have carried in some time. A few items of particular note include that righty Drew VerHagen and lefty Zack Thompson, both of whom have been rotation options in the past, have been brought along on reliever schedules this spring. Sophomore righty Andre Pallante started 10 games for the Cards in 2022, but it seems the team is monitoring his workload even as he preps to pitch for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic; the Cards have asked that Team Italy not push him beyond 45 pitches in any outing. Pallante is likely ticketed for a relief role in 2023, given the presence of Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty in the rotation (with Matthew Liberatore, Dakota Hudson, Jake Woodford and top prospect Gordon Graceffo all on hand as depth options). It should be noted that Matz is the only member of that rotation signed/controlled beyond 2023, however, so the Cards will surely be hoping for some in-house arms to step up and prove they can be relied upon in 2024 and beyond (even if the addition of an arm or two next winter feels inevitable).
Arenado could retire today and be a hall of famer. He’s been an absolute pleasure to watch since his rookie year. Could possibly go down as the best 3B ever when it’s all said and done.
@Get Off My Mound
Not according to Baseball Reference’s Hall of Fame Stats section. The only one he matches is the Hall of Fame Monitor – Batting – 116 (137th), Likely HOFer ≈ 100.
But, I get that for decades, the HOF has been more about feels and friendships over performance. So, why stop now?
Because that should be the be all, end all view of HOFer’s. There are only 16 players in MLB history with 10 or more Gold Gloves, Arenado being one of them. 12 of them are Hall of Famers, while 2 others have very strong cases, Ichiro and Andruw Jones. Arenado literally has not played a season of MLB in which he didn’t win a Gold Glove. Thats just one piece of info I can share to further my point.
@Get Off My Mound
I prefer Fielding Bible Awards. to Gold Gloves. The Gold Gloves aren’t really great at actually determining who’s the best defender. Ke’Bryan Hayes should have won it in 2021.
I can understand that. I find myself quite aggravated by some choices for GG winners at times. In that case, Arenado has won 6 of those, most for any 3B.
He’s a great player but he’s nowhere close to Mike Schmidt, the greatest third baseman of all time.
@Hammerin’ Hank
GOAT 3B man.
When Arenado is retired, if he continues to play the way he has until that day without major injuries, then you could definitely make the argument he is better than Schmidt. Not at all saying he currently is.
@Get Off My Mound
Possible. I’m not going to say he can’t do it but he would need to put up some really good numbers in the coming years. Still lots of time, though, so I wish him the best of luck.
He’s definitely shown he’s capable. Even going to St. Louis and proving to everyone he wasn’t just a product of Coors Field.
@Get Off My Mound
Honestly, it’s getting frustrating that people still think Coors Field stats are not valid MLB stats. Guys are literally playing at the top level of baseball and they’re saying that players only benefit from Coors Field.
Agreed.
Schmidt has said it for you though and so did Brooks Robinson by the way (Brooks said he is a better fielding 3rd baseman than he was). Maybe they were being modest when they said it but they did.
I didn’t see a lot of Mike Schmidt but I did see a ton of Adrian Beltre and Scott Rolen. Beltre he is not, but he’s extremely similar to Scott Rolan who just got into the HOF so Nolan’s chances are good.
Oh, I don’t doubt the writers will elect him, I just don’t think of him as HOF right now.
I can not believe it’s 2023 and Drew VerHagen is STILL on an MLB roster. I mean talk about stealing money. Dude stinks.
“Arenado wonders whether that intensity can be “too much” for both his own psyche and, at times, his teammates, adding…”
More comma abuse and a tautology (“his own psyche”) from Steve, who needs to go back to English class.
“Arenado wonders whether that intensity can be “too much” for both his psyche and at times his teammates, adding…”
@ben that’s great your english skills are top notch, why don’t you do us all a favor here and go teach english to kids instead of critiquing a writer that provides good information on a free site. if the punctuation and other english mistakes bother you so much do us all a favor go somewhere for your baseball news we won’t miss you here
Do us all a favor and throw all your internet-accessing devices out the window so we don’t have to read any of this inanity of yours, brodie. I’m not here to entertain you philistines so I could care less if you miss me, and there’s nothing forcing you to reply to my critiques. Or tell me to read somewhere else when I enjoy the content here, mostly. Unless you’re this writer’s mom or something, why don’t you butt off somewhere else if I bug you this much?
LOL! You have the emotional maturity of a preteen and you got your hands on a thesaurus.
You care as much as we do by replying to our replies. Go find someone to give you a hug. You might need to pay for it. Even from your mom. I don’t normally go this low brow but then you took it there.
@ben thanks for the offer but i have to pass. it, gets, expensive, replacing, iphones, and, screens, when, i, throw, them, out, windows, and, against, walls.
I’ll get that and more from your mom. She actually pays me for it.
Go back to grade school and learn how commas work, dummy.
why, i, have, a, good, paying, job, that, doesn’t, require, the, need, for, correct, punctuation, just, math, and, the, ability, to, read, blueprints.
Or the need for capitalization, apparently. What a shame that you are so openly disdainful of English. Still bitter about that F you got in language arts back in elementary school? Poor man child.
not, bitter, at, all, tbh, i, don’t, give, a, (bleep), about, my, grades, in, hs, you, on, the, other, hand, it, drives, you, insane, with, all, the, punctuation, given, your, need, to, correct, everything, anybody, writes, here,
You clearly never cared about your grades. That’s why you work a menial job in society reading blueprints. I hope you get your GED someday.
Think about how much work you’re putting in and how bitter you look for pettily putting a conma after every word here to make a point. You’re making a mockery of language, and your energy would be better spent trying to finish your high school degree.
Stay in school, don’t be like Brodie!
@ben don’t need to finish getting my degree got that about 20 years ago and spent 4 years in the usaf. if you think my job is menial how about this you go build your house, or the business you frequent because without construction workers you have no where to live or work
Lmao now you use NO commas and write a long ass run-on sentence. No one cares about how you got kicked out of the air force for having an IQ of 12. But keep ranting like a manchild. It’s great that your mom let you live in the basement after you got dishonorably discharged. Congrats on finding a job, maybe you should get another one so you can finally afford to move out, big boy.
@ben believe what you want but this has run its course, the comments here are for bb talk so from this point on unless you have something bb related you want to discuss i’m done here
So if this is for baseball talk, why did you reply to my comment about grammar, goofy?
I hope St. Louis gives Arenado a nice 3 year extension going into 2027 at full market value or a bit better. He’s earned it with his loyalty to the team.
Yeah, Nado came to St. Louis to win and I think he made the right decision. Me, also as a Cards fan, find it absolutely fun and exciting to see some of this young talent as Busch.
I hate to say, but Arenado seems like the real deal. I have a jaded POV listening to players over the years, but this seems to be legit. Glad to be wrong.
In the CARDS’ Clubhouse,
What CARD GAMES get played?
Flaherty and Matz looked good today against a quality opponent. Very early but encouraging all the same. Just need to get Waino and Monty going and then get the season started.
I am not worried about Waino. He will have his numbers at the end of the year, like he does almost every other year.
Hi,Ben,Ben,Ben.
Pointing out the truth about the Coors Field effect is just stating the obvious.
My guess is that if he reaches age 38 in good health he’ll realize that there’s no reason to give up something that he is passionate about. He could spend the rest of his life trying to replace it. I’m a Brewers fan, and he annoys the heck out of me, but that is just a natural byproduct of being a Cardinal.