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Nolan Arenado is staying with the St. Louis Cards after opting into his contract.
Arenado told the Cards that he will play out the five years and $144 million remaining on his contract, rather than testing the free-agent market.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post said in September that Arenado would opt in. It wouldn't have been a surprise if the seven-time All-Star decided to test the market.
The National League's Most Valuable Player award went to Arenado and Goldschmidt.
Arenado was second in the NL in wins above replacement thanks to his combination of value and work at the hot corner.
A 10th consecutive Gold Glove award is on the way for the 31 year old. He was one of three players who were considered for the third base job.
Arenado was acquired by the Cards in a deal with the Rockies. The Rockies gave St. Louis more than 50 million dollars.
✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content The additional year to the back of Arenado's contract was given to him by the Cards.
The things worked out for the Cards. The National League Central was won by Arenado.
If Arenado were to become a free agent, he would still be one of the highest-paid players in baseball.
According to Spotrac, Arenado's average annual salary is the ninth highest among all players.
The risk of teams being wary about paying a player at his age big money is one of the risks. Arenado will celebrate his birthday in April. Things can change quickly for athletes over the age of 30.
TheCardinals seem to have a great thing going, even with the retirement of Albert Pujols, but Arenado and Goldschmidt are the driving force for the organization.
After Goldschmidt becomes a free agent, the Cards will have both of their superstars under contract through the 2024 season.
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