" I'm absolutely coming back': At home with Cardinals, Arenado says he won't o pt out after season. " St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a sacrifice fly to s core left fielder Tyler O'Neill (27) during the fifth inning of a MLB game aga inst the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. The Cardinals entered the game with a team record 16 consecutive wins a s they look to secure a wildcard playoff spot. Drenched in the clincher’s spoils of champagne and beer, some of it poured on him by rookies, Nolan Arenado had a chance late Tuesday night on the field at Busch Stadium to introduce his wife, Laura, to some Cardinals teammates who m ight visit for workouts this winter. After all, he’ll be playing alongside them next season. “I’m not opting out” of his contract, Arenado told the Post-Dispatch on Wed nesday. “We can put that out there. I will not be opting out. I will be comin g back. That was always the plan. I’m absolutely coming back. I feel like thi s year has been special in a lot of senses. “There are still some things that I would like to do better — and I want to do it here.” Arenado intends to personally tell Cardinals ownership in the next day. The Cardinals’ All-Star third baseman made clear what has been obvious most o f the season — that he had little intention of utilizing the opt-out clause a fter the 2021 season that came with him in the trade. The opt-out after 2021 w as baked into the extension he signed with the Colorado Rockies in February 20 19. To balance the deferred money that was necessary to make the trade last of fseason he was given a second opt-out, after 2022. Because of the contract's language, he will have the same decision to make a y ear from now, and the team and player hope that choice will be as obvious. When Arenado came to the Cardinals he stressed in public comments that he was eager to call St. Louis his baseball home, and that he came there to win. He p layed down the opt-out after Year 1 and said as far back as spring training th at he didn’t think it would be a factor. He had sought the trade to the Cardi nals because of the experience he had as a visiting player and what he had abo ut the atmosphere at Busch from friends, such as former Cardinal Matt Holliday . “It’s been better than I expected from that perspective,” Arenado said in t he dugout before the Cardinals' game Wednesday against Milwaukee. “How everyo ne carries themselves. I feel like I fit in well.” He laughed. “You’d have to ask my teammates that,” he continued. “I truly love being h ere, and it’s been really a lot of fun. At points in the season, it was going pretty bad (in the standings). Just to see the turnaround, it’s been unbelie vable.” Arenado, 30, has hit .256 this season and his 105 RBIs so far make him the fir st Cardinal with that many since 2012. He tied a club record for home runs in a single season by an everyday third baseman with his 34th home run last night . That bolt completed the scoring in the Cardinals’ 6-2 victory that clinched the NL’s second (and final) wild-card playoff berth and continued a club rec ord 17-game winning streak. Arenado has slugged .499 with a .812 OPS in 153 ga mes. He’s one of several Cardinals who could win a Gold Glove award, which wo uld be his ninth consecutive. The Rockies traded Arenado to the Cardinals on Feb. 1 for a package of five pl ayers headlined by lefty starter Austin Gomber. As part of the trade, Arenado agreed to add another year to his contract, taking him through 2027. The Rocki es also will include a total of around $50 million if Arenado spends the entir ety of his contract with the Cardinals. The opt-outs had a dollar value that t he union sought to preserve the present-day value of the contract. Arenado's contract sets a salary of $35 million for the 2022 season, though as part of the trade he agreed to defer $6 million of that salary. He had until after the World Series this year to make it official. “I’ve been amazed by the consistency, same people every day, same coaching s taff, no one has changed,” Arenado said. “I’ve just been in awe of it. I’m very thankful to be here, and I want to be here.” --

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