The Diamondbacks missed the postseason, but they still found a major payoff in an offseason deal that looked like a salary dump on paper and turned into a real win in Arizona.
Nolan Arenado arrived from the St. Louis Cardinals with expectations lowered by the price tag attached to him, and that only made his season more eye-opening. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter called Arenado Arizona’s “biggest surprise” of the 2026 season, pointing to the fact that the Cardinals covered $31 million of the $42 million still left on his contract to get the trade done in January.
That kind of financial help usually signals caution. Instead, Arenado delivered a rebound. The 35-year-old put together his first 30-homer season since 2022, a sharp turnaround after he posted a career-worst 89 OPS+ and 1.3 WAR in 107 games the year before.
For Arizona, the production at third base was a clear bright spot even if the team didn’t make the cut for October. Arenado’s 30 home runs and 122 OPS+ weren’t enough to push the Diamondbacks into the postseason, but they gave the club something solid to build around heading into next year.
Arenado had been openly pushing for a move out of St. Louis, and the Cardinals did get back right-hander Jack Martinez in the trade. Martinez could turn into a stud, but the early read still favors Arizona if Arenado keeps producing at this level.
The Diamondbacks also had Corbin Carroll giving them another historic marker, as he led the Majors in triples for the third straight season, becoming the first player ever to do that. Even so, Arenado’s first season in the desert stood out as one of the clearest success stories in a year that otherwise ended short of the playoffs.
In Other News...
Nolan Arenado Gave Arizona Hope At Third Base Again For Now
Nolan Arenados first season in Arizona gave the Diamondbacks a familiar kind of reassurance at third base, even if it came with some familiar caution signs attached. After arriving from the Cardinals, he provided an early boost, went quiet in June, then finished strong enough in September to remind the club why his bat still carries weight, even in a year that ended with a .255 average, 30 home runs and a 120 wRC+.
For Arizona, the bigger question is not what Arenado did in stretches, but how much of that version is sustainable going forward. The offensive production was real enough to help, yet the underlying trends pointed the other way, with his exit velocity and hard-hit rate slipping, leaving the Diamondbacks with a useful answer at the hot corner for now and a longer-term evaluation still hanging over the spot. [Read more 🡒]