Nolan Arenado’s latest comments on Astros trade veto show a twinge of regret

As it turns out, the Houston Astros dodged a bullet last offseason when Nolan Arenado nixed an agreed-upon trade with the Cardinals. It was clear that St. Louis was headed toward a rebuild, and while Arenado wanted to play for a contender, he revealed recently that at the time that the Astros weren't exactly giving off the reputation of a team going for it in 2026 and that influenced his decision.

“I have the utmost respect for Houston, I have said this so many times,” Arenado told Foul Territory. “They traded Kyle Tucker. Bregman wasn't going back. There was a lot of things that I was just a little hesitant [about] at the time. I respect all those players that are there and that organization. They are great.

Arenado also added that his decision was also based on what was best for his family.

Nolan Arenado’s Astros trade veto comments hint at possible second thoughts

There is no telling what the desires were for Arenado and his family, but it's clear that he was wrong about the Astros' outlook in 2025. Yes, Houston traded Kyle Tucker, but in his place were an All-Star third baseman in Isaac Paredes, a top prospect in Cam Smith, and a high-upside starting pitcher in Hayden Wesneski.

As for the departure of Bregman, well, Arenado would have been his replacement.

It would have been a situation that was undoubtedly going to be better than the Cardinals. Nonetheless, the Cardinals confirmed their rebuild during the season, and they've spent this offseason embracing that rebuild. As such, Arenado is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Just like the Astros likely have no regrets over their decision to trade Tucker, they likely have no regrets that Arenado invoked his no-trade clause last winter. Of course, the Astros didn't make the playoffs in 2025, but the eight-time All-Star likely wasn't going to be the difference in that outcome.

Instead, the Astros opted to sign Christian Walker, and while the results weren't exactly what the team was expecting, Walker was a far better offensive player than Arenado. Not to mention, the Astros would likely still be dealing with the same infield logjam that is plaguing their roster right now.

Sometimes, the best trades that are made are the ones that actually never happened. In this case, the Astros aren't losing sleep over Arenado's decision last year, even if the veteran third baseman is.