Reflecting on Change: Nolan Arenado’s Departure and the Astros’ Moves
ST. LOUIS — As he prepared for a new chapter, Nolan Arenado encountered one of the last places he wanted to leave. On Monday afternoon, he took his final round of batting practice while several Houston Astros players gathered near the third-base dugout.
Arenado expressed admiration for Jose Altuve, whom he described as “probably the greatest hitter of our generation in terms of bat-to-ball skills,” and for Yordan Alvarez, whom he labeled as “one of the best power hitters ever.”
“I have great respect for those guys; I recognize their talent,” Arenado shared at Busch Stadium. “They have consistently excelled, and it’s clear they’ve built something special.”
This reevaluation of the Astros became a pivotal point for both Arenado and the team during a complex winter. The Astros’ trade of Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs gave Arenado insight into the situation, along with Houston’s interest in acquiring him.
Arenado acknowledged, “(Tucker) is one of the top players out there. When you witness a team trading him, you can’t help but wonder, ‘What does that imply?’ That was my primary question.” He also recognized that if he had accepted the trade, another key player, Alex Bregman, would have remained in Houston.
Just five days after the Tucker trade was finalized, Arenado used his no-trade clause to reject an agreed-upon trade that would have made him central to the Astros’ transformative offseason. Consequently, Houston turned to first baseman Christian Walker, who signed a three-year contract valued at $60 million, slightly more than what they would have offered Arenado.
Arenado stated, “I respect the Astros for needing to proceed without waiting for my decision. They made strategic moves to improve their team, which included bringing in Walker. They understood it wasn’t a direct ‘no,’ but rather that I needed time to assess how everything would unfold.”
