John Mozeliak, who leads baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, was thrilled to land five-time All-Star Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies, especially after a stressful week where he worried the trade might not actually happen.
During a press conference, Mozeliak remarked that bringing Nolan on board is the catalyst that transforms the team from a good squad into a great one.
The move became a reality after trade discussions kicked off in December. However, Mozeliak revealed that talks had actually started as early as last offseason, coinciding with when Arenado first realized a trade was in his best interest.
Arenado admitted that when he first joined Colorado, he fully intended to retire there. However, he described the last few seasons as a struggle, largely because the Rockies couldn't find a viable trade deal after he signed an eight-year contract extension ahead of the 2019 season.
On Monday, the Cardinals officially traded pitcher Austin Gomber and four minor league players to acquire Arenado. In order to waive his no-trade clause, Arenado negotiated two opt-out windows available after the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
Arenado stated that his goal is to stay with the team long-term. While he had expressed similar sentiments during his time in Colorado, he insists that he truly means it this time, regardless of his option to opt out.
Despite battling a shoulder injury last season, Arenado managed to put up a .738 OPS over the course of 48 games.
Reflecting on that period, he acknowledged that last year was a struggle. While he doesn't want to use his injury as a crutch or an excuse, he feels he is now in a much better position physically and expects his performance to return to its usual level.
When asked about the Rockies fans, Arenado mentioned that he always maintained a positive relationship with them and cherished his time in Colorado. He admitted, however, that things simply didn't work out between him and the organization. While he's aware that some fans are unhappy about the trade, he pointed out that players moving on after a few years is a common occurrence in the history of baseball.