Nolan

Arenado

Arenado takes a seat for the first time this season following four consecutive starts with prospect Jose Fernandez set to make his major-league debut at Chase Field. The 34-year-old defensive wizard has gotten off to a frigid 2-for-16 start in his Diamondbacks debut.

While Lourdes Gurriel is sidelined, the 23-year-old will have a chance to see regular at-bats for the Diamondbacks — essentially battling Alek Thomas to see who sticks in the lineup upon Gurriel’s return. Here’s the full lineup that the Diamondbacks will use against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers on Friday evening in Los Angeles: Ketel Marte (2B), Corbin Carroll (RF), Geraldo Perdomo (SS), Gabriel Moreno (C), Pavin Smith (DH), Nolan Arenado (3B), Carlos Santana (1B), Alex Thomas (CF) and Jordan Lawlar (LF).

Arenado has his second homer of the spring with a solo shot off Jalen Beeks. The 34-year-old has looked the part in exhibition season with a .400 average and 1.067 sugging percentage, although it’s worth noting that has come in just 21 plate appearances.

All were singles and none of them were hard hit; he had two flares to the outfield and an infield hit. That’s also mostly what happened before Arenado left the Diamondbacks; he was 3-for-8 with an average exit velocity of 77.5 mph. He could be a solid enough regular for Arizona because his defense is still well above average, but the power probably isn’t coming back.

Arenado blooped a single to left field to put Puerto Rico on the board as they prepare to kick off the World Baseball Classic on Friday against Colombia in San Juan. The soon-to-be 35-year-old veteran is among the more prominent names on a roster that doesn’t include Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa due to insurance reasons.

Not only did Arenado swat a solo blast in his debut with Arizona, but he did it against his long-time former employer in the Rockies. The 34-year-old has not posted an OPS above .800 since 2022, but while it’s hard to imagine him ever reaching his previous success, it’s feasible he’ll be a competent option again in 2026.

Arenado was ultimately traded to the Diamondbacks, which is where he told the Cardinals preferred to play, but the Athletics “would have absorbed more money than the Diamondbacks.” While the Athletics could still pursue options like Eugenio Suarez and Yoan Moncada, Rosenthal reports that they “intend to use Max Muncy at third base, with Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz also in the mix.”

It’s an intriguing strategy considering Arenado’s bat has fallen off as he has gotten older, but his defense at third base remains strong. He also has seen his power decline, so he would not be the conventional choice for a first baseman. According to Rosenthal, the sticking point “was that the Padres were unwilling to take on as much of Arenado’s salary as the D-Backs,” which is also curious because the Diamondbacks only took on $11 million of Arenado’s $42 million. Perhaps their pursuit wasn’t overly enthusiastic, but the Padres are clearly looking for a solution at first base.

This deal came together quickly, and, according to The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, the Diamondbacks are only paying Arenado $5 million this year and $6 million next year, thanks to the money the Cardinals are sending over. Arenado hit .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs and 52 RBI for the Cardinals in 107 games last season while battling injuries. It was the first time he had played under 144 games in a season since 2014. The 34-year-old is no longer the offensive player that he was in his prime, but he remains a good defender with elite contact rates, both of which will be a boon to the Diamondbacks. Of course, this means that Arizona’s top prospect, Jordan Lawlar, is, once again, without a clear starting job heading into spring training.

Maybe the D-backs really don’t think Jordan Lawlar can play. It won’t require much talent to bring in Arenado; it’s mostly just a matter of how much of the contract they’d have to absorb. If something gets done, then there’s a good chance Lawlar will return to Triple-A. The Cardinals would be clearing room for top prospect J.J. Wetherholt, but they’d probably start off the season with Nolan Gorman or Thomas Saggese at third base.