The Arizona Diamondbacks swung a deal to acquire third baseman Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Diamondbacks are responsible for only $11 million of the final $42 million on Arenado’s contract.
With uncertainty at third base, it made sense for the Diamondbacks to add a veteran to provide stability. Arenado changes the infield picture, depending on how much run they give him at the hot corner.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen later spoke to the Arizona media about the trade. Jim McLennan of AZ Snake Pit provided a transcript of the call.
Mike Hazen Explains Nolan Arenado Trade
After the trade deadline, the Diamondbacks got a lot younger at the end of 2025. Arizona unloaded Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners, replacing them with youngsters Blaze Alexander, Jordan Lawlar, and Tyler Locklear.
“We have a young team, our young players are our superstar players,” said Hazen. “But I think there’s also a need and a balance, and a desire, to have players that have been through it for a long time from a preparation standpoint, from going through the ups and downs of the season.”
Hazen drew parallels to Evan Longoria, who was on the Diamondbacks in 2023. Signed to add veteran leadership, Longoria was the team’s third baseman during their playoff run.
He’s far removed from being a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate, but he still brings value to a club.
“I think as guys get older in this league and the league evolves, and they need to continue to evolve. I know he’s going to put in every amount of work and energy into doing that. We probably have a little better ballpark to hit in, and so we look for him to be a solid offensive contributor for us in our lineup.
Arenado is no longer a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate, but he doesn’t have to be to help the Diamondbacks win in 2026.
“With the firepower we have at the top of our lineup, we’re not looking for him to carry the offense. We don’t need him to carry the offense; we need him to solidify and stabilize our defense.”
How the Arenado Trade Impacts Infield Playing Time
From the way that Hazen spoke about Arenado, he hinted that Arenado will be the starting third baseman. They haven’t had that specific conversation yet, as there may still be more moves made regarding the infield.
Arenado isn’t the defensive savant he used to be, but he still played a quality third base in 2025. He posted +6 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average at the hot corner with the Cardinals.
With Arenado likely to get most of the starts at the hot corner, that impacts the playing time of Jordan Lawlar and Blaze Alexander. To keep their bat in the lineup, both may end up starting games in the outfield. Alexander has already played a handful of games in both left and center field in 2025, while Lawlar got some reps in center in winter ball.
Hazen was asked about how the trade would impact the playing time on the infield. He confirmed that Lawlar and Alexander will be getting reps in the outfield, but also downplayed whether that means more games at designated hitter for Ketel Marte.
“I see the group of younger players having the ability to impact this team in a number of different ways, either in the infield or the outfield. There’s going to be plenty of at-bats to go around in trying to round out where the lineup’s going to be.”
Diamondbacks GM Discusses Nolan Arenado Trade, Infield Situation