Trade rumors linking Nolan Arenado and the Cardinals have been going on for years, before the Cardinals and Rockies agreed to a deal that was finalized on Feb. 1.
The Cardinals’ interest in the All-Star third baseman was no great industry secret; He has long been seen as a perfect fit for the club’s needs – Gold Glove third baseman, heart-of-order power hitter -. What we didn’t know until Thursday evening was really how mutual the interest was, how much Arenado wanted to become a Cardinal.
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A long run after a two-run homer in the eighth inning by Araenzo did not help the Cardinals to a 3–1 win in their 2021 home opener against the Brewers on Thursday – every player’s home dream when joining a new club Is kind. Louis starter Adam Wainwright spoke to the media on the zoom call.
Wainwright had started five innings of one-run baseball and was certainly asked many questions about Arenado. He told a short story.
“In the last year or two, (Arenado) would send me videos when he was trying to do business here,” Wainwright said.
Let’s stop here for a second. Um… wow. This is quite a revelation. Let us not be naive and pretend to be such things, but it is still a little surprising.
“He would say, ‘Hey, show it to Moe,” Wainwright said. “And he would take the ground ball in the middle of the offshin, down the third-base line and almost throw his short jump from the dugout, throwing one perfect, one after the other.”
The “Moe” is, of course, the Cardinals President of Baseball Operations, John Mozelic. He has been a top decision maker in the organization for over a decade (aside from the ownership group, of course). It is he who eventually built the business that was seen as a massive successor to the Cardinals.
It may not be fun for Rocky fans to read, that their star players were thinking about playing for another club. And it’s fair to say that those people in the front office of Colorado, from owner Charlie Monfort to general manager Jeff Bridich, are probably deeply troubled by the revelation.
Let’s be clear about one thing: There is zero evidence that those offending text messages had any impact on the effort or production of Arenado’s Rockies. Wainwright said “last year or two,” so let’s look at the last two years.
In 2019, Arenado posted career highs in bWAR (7.3), OPS (.962) and average (.315), while scoring 41 home runs and driving in 118. He was an All-Star for the fifth consecutive year. A Gold Glove for the seventh consecutive year and finished sixth in the NL MVP voting.
And, yes, Arenado’s 2020 season was subject to his own standards, but he still produced a 1.5 bWAR and hit eight homers in 48 games, as he was playing through a shoulder issue that made up for his power. Made a very big part. The Rockies finally shut him down “AC joint inflammation and left shoulder bone injury.” Yikes.
So, the question is, what did Weinrait do to those messages from Arenado? Did he send them from the organizational ladder to Mozillac?
“Oh yes. I always sent them,” he said with a laugh. “I always said, ‘Hey, I know you’ve got a plan and you’re working on some things, but every time he gives them to me Sends the pass, then I do my part and send it to you. “Moe was getting it.”
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Arenado’s turn on Zoom was before Wainwright’s turn, so the media had no opportunity to ask Arnado about text messages. Arenado talked about his excitement, playing as a Cardinal at Busch Stadium for the first time, and got a curtain call after hitting a tie-breaking homer in the eighth inning.
“It was one of the greatest moments,” Arenado said with a big smile. “I’ve been lucky enough to hit a pair of homers, once hit a homer for a bicyclist, and he still probably just tops it a little. But I’ve never lifted a curtain before that. It was just an incredible feeling to get one of them. Never had one. I was just so pumped. “
When Wainwright heard of the “thing never to be veiled”, he whispered, “Wow.” It is hard to believe that even before the reporter, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, asked his question.
Wainwright said, “It’s hard to believe this is his first curtain.” “He has done a lot of good things in the baseball world, so it is very hard to believe. He is going to take a bunch of them here.
Arenado is 1-for-1 so far – game-winning home runs and curtain calls on the bus. And, Clearly this is a true statementHowever, there are several reasons why curtain calls are a long-standing tradition in St. Louis.
“He focuses on being a world champion St. Louis Cardinals player you can’t even believe in,” Wainwright said. “The man eats, sleeps, drinks and breathes baseball. And he wants to win as much as anyone around me, and he wants to win here. We are happy for him. He is a winning player.
“We’ve been with him for two months, maybe not too, and I think he’s been here for 10 years. He just fits so well in this clubhouse.
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