What Lance Lynn ‘f**king hates’ about Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado trade

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Cardinals finally pulled the trigger on the inevitable Nolan Arenado trade, sending the veteran third baseman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for just one prospect in pitcher Jack Martinez, whom the Diamondbacks drafted in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft. The Cardinals ate $31 million of the remaining $42 million on Arenado’s deal, which runs until the 2027 season.

Considering how Arenado’s production has declined over the past few years, the Cardinals had to absorb the vast majority of the remaining dollars on the 34-year-old’s contract just so they could get something of value in return and not just dump his contract for the sake of it. But this did not sit well with former Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn, who believes that St. Louis absolutely should have gotten a better deal for their anchor at the hot corner.

“I absolutely f-ing hate it. And here’s why. I hate the amount of money that was given up for one prospect that was drafted in the eighth round last year. It’s a big what-if. Arizona got Nolan Arenado for $11 million over the next two years,” Lynn said on the Cardinals Territory podcast.

“I absolutely f-ing hate it.”

Lance Lynn hates the amount of money that was given up for 1 prospect in the Nolan Arenado trade. pic.twitter.com/n4sEgnBHDk

— Cardinal Territory (@CardTerritory) January 15, 2026

Did Cardinals get shafted in the Nolan Arenado trade?

The Cardinals have made it clear that they were going to trade Arenado at all costs, and this seems to have contributed to the decline in his trade value.

Arenado’s no longer a quality hitter; he put up an OPS of .666 last year, which was his worst as a professional yet. At 34 years of age, any hope of a rebirth is not looking very good. But he’s still a solid defender and a good presence in the locker room, and the Diamondbacks have to be pleased to get him at a value of $11 million all while giving up someone who’s so far away from being a known commodity.

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