A trade so complex and yet so mutually desirable that both Nolan Arenado and the Cardinals had to bend a little to get a lot has become a commitment to each other for years to come.
Arenado, who had the ability to become a free agent in less than two weeks, notified the Cardinals that he will not opt out of his existing contract, he said Saturday. He will remain with the team through at least 2027. Arenado’s decision gives the Cardinals one of the best all-around players in the league, an elite dynamo at third base, and a middle-order presence to count on into his mid-30s.
It also vulcanizes a relationship forged two years ago when the Cardinals and Arenado worked to make a trade from Colorado possible.
