Longtime SF Giants nemesis' time with St. Louis Cardinals likely coming to an end

With the St. Louis Cardinals coming to town, the SF Giants might be seeing the last of Nolan Arenado in a Cardinals uniform. On Sunday, the longtime Giants nemesis received a standing ovation in what could be his last game at Busch Stadium.

Longtime SF Giants nemesis' time with St. Louis Cardinals likely coming to an end

That is an ominous sign for someone who still has two more seasons on his nine-year, $275 million pact. That said, it is not surprising if both Arenado and the Cardinals view this as his final season with the club.

After all, the Cardinals did shop Arenado last offseason. They had worked out a deal to send the veteran third baseman to the Houston Astros, but he rejected the deal. His contract includes a full no-trade clause, so he has to sign off on any prospective deal. This is a moot point, but he also has 10-and-five rights, which is effectively a full no-trade clause.

Arenado has been with the Cardinals for five seasons. Prior to the 2021 season, the Colorado Rockies shipped him to St. Louis for a trio of minor leaguers, along with Austin Gomber and Elehuris Montero. No one from Colorado's side of that deal remains with the club.

This proved to be a huge help to the Giants, as Arenado has tortured San Francisco for years. In the 2010's, no one hurt the Giants as much as Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Interestingly, both players were shipped out of the division to St. Louis.

The right-handed bat is not quite the same player he once was, as he has posted a .656 OPS with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 415 plate appearances this year. For years, he was an elite defensive third baseman and took home 10 straight NL Gold Glove Awards. The defensive metrics are not quite as strong these days, but he remains a solid defensive player.

Arenado put up MVP-caliber numbers in his career against the Giants. In 153 career games, he has recorded an .878 OPS with 33 home runs and 113 RBI in 669 plate appearances. While a lot of that damage came with the Rockies, it remains impossible to forget that he can be a threat at the plate.

The 13-year veteran will likely look to continue his playing career after this season, especially as he has put up numbers that are worthy of consideration for the Hall of Fame. However, there is a good chance that he will be wearing a different uniform, and Sunday's ovation would likely a send off from the Cardinals fanbase.

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