Was Nolan Arenado’s St. Louis Cardinals Career A Monumental LETDOWN?

St. Louis Cardinals hit the reset button, shipping future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a move that signals a dramatic rebuild. Did the Arenado era in St. Louis fall flat, or were there unseen bright spots in his five-year tenure? JD Hafron breaks down the trade for prospect Jack Martinez, analyzes the underwhelming return, and unpacks how the Birds on the Bat arrived at this crossroads after a string of disappointing seasons and costly roster missteps.

Key topics include the Cardinals’ struggles in player development, questions surrounding Paul Goldschmidt and the team’s aging core, and the ripple effects on promising talent like Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and JJ Wetherholt. With financial flexibility opening up and new prospects ready to step in, is this the start of a brighter era—or a painful lesson in what could have been? Don’t miss this critical analysis of St. Louis’ next chapter.

0:00 — Cardinals Trade Arenado
13:02 — Arenado Era Recap
23:17 — Verdict: Was It Failure?

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-st-louis-cardinals/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

Everydayer Club

If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.

Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonstlcardinals.supercast.com/

Follow on Twitter/X: @JDSPORTSRADIO
Follow the show on Twitter/X: @LO_Cardinals

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Rocket Money
Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at http://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON

FanDuel
Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Every Friday night, before the games tip off, FanDuel gives fans a new way to kick off the weekend with NBA Happy Hour. Check the FanDuel app and see what’s dropping during NBA Happy Hour — every Friday from 6 to 7:30 PM Eastern. FanDuel — the Official Sportsbook Partner of the NBA.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPE