Arenado: 'I'm not opting out' of contract with Cardinals
Nolan Arenado is loving life in St. Louis.
The All-Star third baseman confirmed Wednesday he has no plans to opt out of his contract with the Cardinals to become a free agent this winter.
"I'm not opting out," Arenado told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We can put that out there. I will not be opting out. I will be coming back. That was always the plan. I'm absolutely coming back. I feel like this year has been special in a lot of senses.
"There are still some things that I would like to do better - and I want to do it here."
The Cardinals acquired Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in a six-player blockbuster trade this past February.
While his offensive numbers dipped slightly after leaving Coors Field, he's still turned in a solid season at the plate, hitting .256/.313/.499 with 34 homers, 34 doubles, and 105 RBIs in 153 games. On defense, the eight-time Gold Glove winner's tallied seven defensive runs saved, a 5.0 ultimate zone rating, and 10 outs above average at third base.
Arenado will earn $35 million in 2022, with the Rockies now being responsible for a little over $5.5-million of that salary, per Cot's Contracts. Colorado agreed to send up to $51 million in cash to St. Louis as part of the trade.
The 30-year-old is under contract with the Cardinals through 2028, though he does hold another opt-out clause after next season.