Nolan Arenado Should Have Retired

St. Louis Cardinal third baseman Nolan Arenado had a choice.

The future Hall of Famer could have ended his career gracefully, as Mark McGwire did, but decided to take the path of many fading stars that ultimately leads to embarrassment and damaged statistics that accompany the diminished skills of a once-great ballplayer.

The similarities between McGwire and Arenado are interesting.

McGwire retired on November 11, 2001. It was a surprise move that resulted in him walking away from a two-year contract extension that would have paid him $30 million.

An Arenado retirement would be equally surprising. He’d be walking away from $42 million over the final two years of his contract.

Big Mac was coming off a season in which he had hit .187 with an OPS+ of 105.

Arenado’s 2025 campaign shows him batting .237 with an 87 OPS+.

It was McGwire’s worst batting average in his 16-year career and worst OPS+ in 11 seasons.

Arenado’s batting average is the worst of his 13-year career. His OPS+ is the third-worst.

McGwire was limited to 97 games because of a bad right knee.  

Arenado has been limited to 107 games this season due to some minor tweaks.

McGwire returns to the dugout after being called back for a pinch-hitter.

In the 2001 National League Division Series against Arizona, McGwire suffered the indignity of being pinch hit for in the top of the ninth inning, with the tying run on first, in the winner-take-all fifth game of the series.

It was a tough decision for Manager Tony La Russa, who was a staunch supporter of McGwire, a decision that he certainly would not have made in any other season Mac had in St. Louis.

Similarly, the Cardinal organization made a tough decision this past offseason that they would not have made in other offseason: to trade Nolan Arenado. As the team began moving on from the current core, of which Arenado is a part.

McGwire’s pinch-hitter was Kerry Robinson. Robinson sported an 85 OPS+ that season.

Arenado’s replacement, had he been traded, would have been Nolan Gorman. Gorman compiled 88 OPS+ this season.

When McGwire walked back to the dugout for Robinson to hit, it was the last time he was seen wearing the Cardinal uniform as a player.

When Arenado went on the IL Aug. 1, it should have been the last time he was seen wearing the Cardinal uniform as a player.

Arenado, whose defense has also fallen, rejected the one trade, to Houston, that former President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak was able to negotiate. New President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom and Arenado have discussed the trade idea for this off-season, to which Arenado seems far more amenable than last year.

Nolan Arenado has won 10 Gold Gloves and six Platinum Gloves while playing with Colorado and St. Louis. Back from the IL in September, he played in 11 games, 40 at-bats, hitting .250 with a 95OPS+.

Getting Arenado's approval to be traded is one thing. The money he’d leave behind if he bowed out gracefully by retiring is another.

Given inflation, Arenado would not be walking away from $12 million more than McGwire did in 2001 (the difference of $42 million and $30 million, left on their contracts, respectively); it would be approximately $6-7 million more.

However, Arenado won’t be begging for meal money anytime soon. By the end of this season, he will have earned $226,512,500.

Leaving one question for him to ponder: at what price dignity?

On August 5, I posed the Arenado retiring idea to Daniel Guerrero, Cardinals beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Chuck Long Island: Hi Daniel, what do you think of the idea that Arenado should retire in the manner McGwire did, walking away from millions, rather than finish his career a shell of himself lile Steve Carlton did. Thanks!

Guerrero: Walking away early doesn't sound very fitting of who Arenado has shown to be. I don't imagine there being some scenario where he would walk away early. That just doesn't seem like him. Also, I think ending a career on a strong note is less common than we think. You look around in recent years and Hall of Famers like Ichiro, Ivan Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. all had some struggles in their final seasons before retiring. I don't think Arenado would walk away early to avoid being a shell of himself.

Daniel Guerrero

Kerry Robinson Pinch Hits For Mark McGwire

Please like, comment, and share!

Sign-up for exclusives and first to know!

Charles I. Guarria is an author, reporter and host based in the state of Florida, USA, covering any topic, anywhere in the world. His career began in 2009. Mr. Guarria is a three-time winner of Emerald Group Publishing’s Highly Commended Award and host of The Opinion Guy Fun Friendly Informative. He is available for hire to write, research, or beta-read.

Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing, Kerry Robinson YouTube, Sports Illustrated,

See ya soon!

~30~