The St. Louis Cardinals have been contenders in almost every season for a long time.
In the 2026 MLB campaign, though, the Cardinals look more like a team that'll be rebuilding.
The best signal of that? They're paying three star veterans to not play for them in 2026.
They traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox early this offseason.
They followed up by trading Willson Contreras away, also to the Red Sox.
And on Tuesday, they traded Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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They're sending out salary money with all three players, totaling $59 million, according to Locked On Cardinals:
After trades involving Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado the Cardinals are paying a combined $59 million for them to NOT play for them... Ouch #stlcards
— Locked On Cardinals (@LO_Cardinals) January 13, 2026
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It's not totally illogical for St. Louis. By clearing out those veterans, they allow promising young players to get on the field and develop for the future.
The Cardinals likely wouldn't have used that money in other ways this offseason anyway.
They might not be done, either. Brendan Donovan is a trade candidate from his spot as the Cardinals' second baseman, too.
It will feel like money well spent if in a few years, the Cardinals are back near the top of the NL Central Division, but there will be work to do to make that happen.
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