PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado in a trade Tuesday with the St. Louis Cardinals, adding an accomplished veteran to a team trying to return to the playoffs for the first time since a surprise World Series run in 2023.
St. Louis received minor league pitcher Jack Martinez in the deal. The rebuilding Cardinals are will be sending $31 million to the D-backs to offset the $42 million Arenado is owed over the next two seasons.
A 10-time Gold Glove winner, Arenado has played for the Cardinals the past five seasons and was shopped extensively after the 2024 season and this offseason. The 34-year-old isn’t the offensive force he used to be but will still provide experience at the position after the D-backs dealt slugger Eugenio Suárez at last season’s trade deadline.
“We’ve always liked the way he’s played the game and the impact he can have when he’s not playing,” Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said. “I think he’s a good fit. I know how much winning means to him and is important to him — and it’s important to us.”
Arenado batted .237 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs last season and has two years and $42 million remaining on a contract paying him $275 million for nine years. He is owed $27 million this year and $15 million in 2027.
St. Louis agreed to send Arizona $22 million to offset this season’s salary — $2,666,666.67 on the 15th of each month from April to September — and $9 million on Nov. 1, 2027.
Arenado waived a no-trade provision to accept the deal.
“One of the best that’s ever done what he does in the field and at the plate,” Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said. “He’s someone who really appreciates this town as a baseball town at its best. He’s a relentless competitor and someone who really wants to win.”
Bloom it wasn’t fun to trade someone the caliber of Arenado, whom he thinks will be voted to baseball’s Hall of Fame.
“That’s baseball royalty right there,” Bloom said. “We’re mindful of that, but at the same time, a lot of what comes with this chair is not letting emotion, sentiment and nostalgia override executing what’s best for this team and being fully committed on where we need to go.”
Arenado was one of the few veteran pieces that remained on the Cardinals, who are building for the future with a young lineup that includes Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson.
For the Diamondbacks, the move is reminiscent of 2023, when Hazen signed third baseman Evan Longoria to a $4 million, one-year deal. Longoria was at the end of a long and successful career, providing 11 homers and solid defense in a part-time role as Arizona made it all the way to the Fall Classic before losing to the Texas Rangers.
Arenado projects as the D-backs’ starting third baseman with young players like Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawlar as other options.
Both Alexander and Lawlar can play other positions, including second base, shortstop and the outfield.
“We look for him to be a solid offensive contributor in our lineup,” Hazen said of Arenado. “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 — that’s a huge component to this.”
Arizona also has looked for help at first base. Hazen said he hasn’t discussed a potential role at first base for Arenado, but didn’t rule out the possibility.
“I’m sure we’ll sit down and digest all this with him,” Hazen said. “The last 24 hours has been kind of a whirlwind. I’m sure we’ll tackle anything and everything as it relates to the team. I look forward to spending a little more time with him and walking through how the team is constructed.”
Martinez was an eighth round pick by the D-backs out of Arizona State in 2025.
Arenado is a career .282 hitter and has 353 homers over 13 seasons with the Cardinals and Rockies.
Retooling St. Louis has agreed to pay in three trades this offseason, sending pitcher Sonny Gray and catcher Willson Contreras to Boston in separate deals. The Cardinals will pay Boston $20 million as part of the Gray trade.
St. Louis also finalized a one-year contract with right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek that includes a club option for 2027. This will be the 34-year-old’s sixth MLB team over 10 seasons.
Stanek was 4-6 with a 5.30 ERA and 58 strikeouts over 65 appearances with the New York Mets last season.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
FILE - St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The death toll from a crackdown on protests in Iran jumps to at least 2,571, activists said early Wednesday.
The figure came from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran in recent years.
The activist group said 2,403 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.
With the internet down in Iran, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
That death toll dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran surpassed 2,000 people on Tuesday, activists said, as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications during a crackdown on demonstrators.
The number of dead climbed to at least 2,003, as reported by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. That figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iranian state television offered the first official acknowledgment of the deaths, quoting an official saying the country had “a lot of martyrs” and that it did not release a toll earlier because of the dead suffering gruesome injuries. However, that statement came only after activists reported their toll.
The demonstrations began a little over two weeks ago in anger over Iran’s ailing economy and soon targeted the theocracy, particularly 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Images obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press from demonstrations in Tehran showed graffiti and chants calling for Khamenei's death — something that could carry a death sentence.
Soon after the new death toll became public, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!”
He added: “I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
However, hours later, Trump told reporters that his administration was awaiting an accurate report on the number of protesters that had been killed before acting “accordingly.”
Trump said about the Iranian security forces: “It would seem to me that they have been badly misbehaving, but that is not confirmed.”
Iranian officials once again warned Trump against taking action, with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responding to U.S. posturing by writing: “We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran: 1- Trump 2-” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The activist group said 1,850 of the dead were protesters and 135 were government-affiliated. Nine children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 16,700 people have been detained, the group said.
With the internet down in Iran, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The AP has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
Skylar Thompson with the Human Rights Activists News Agency told AP the new toll was shocking, particularly since it reached four times the death toll of the monthslong 2022 Mahsa Amini protests in just two weeks.
She warned that the toll would still rise: “We’re horrified, but we still think the number is conservative."
Speaking by phone for the first time since their calls were cut off from the outside world, Iranian witnesses described a heavy security presence in central Tehran, burned-out government buildings, smashed ATMs and few passersby. Meanwhile, people were concerned about what comes next, including the possibility of a U.S. attack.
“My customers talk about Trump’s reaction while wondering if he plans a military strike against the Islamic Republic,” said shopkeeper Mahmoud, who gave only his first name out of concern for his safety. “I don’t expect Trump or any other foreign country cares about the interests of Iranians.”
Reza, a taxi driver who also gave just his first name, said protests are on many people's minds. “People — particularly young ones — are hopeless, but they talk about continuing the protests,” he said.
Several people in Tehran were able to call the AP on Tuesday and speak to a journalist. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back. Witnesses said text messaging was still down, and internet users in Iran could connect to government-approved websites locally but nothing abroad.
Anti-riot police officers wore helmets and body armor while carrying batons, shields, shotguns and tear gas launchers, according to the witnesses. Police stood watch at major intersections. Nearby, witnesses saw members of the Revolutionary Guard's all-volunteer Basij force, who carried firearms and batons. Security officials in plainclothes were visible in public spaces.
Several banks and government offices were burned during the unrest, witnesses said. Banks struggled to complete transactions without the internet, they added.
Shops were open, though there was little foot traffic in the capital. Tehran's Grand Bazaar, where the demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of Iran's rial currency, opened Tuesday. A witness described speaking to multiple shopkeepers who said security forces ordered them to reopen no matter what. Iranian state media did not acknowledge that order.
The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
It also appeared that security service personnel were searching for Starlink terminals, as people in northern Tehran reported authorities raiding apartment buildings with satellite dishes. While satellite television dishes are illegal, many in the capital have them in homes, and officials broadly had given up on enforcing the law in recent years.
On the streets, people also could be seen challenging plainclothes security officials, who were stopping passersby at random.
State television also read a statement about mortuary and morgue services being free — a signal that some likely charged high fees for the release of bodies amid the crackdown.
Khamenei, in a statement carried by state TV, praised the tens of thousands who took part in pro-government demonstrations nationwide on Monday.
“This was a warning to American politicians to stop their deceit and not rely on traitorous mercenaries,” he said. “The Iranian nation is strong and powerful and aware of the enemy.”
State TV on Monday aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands. They chanted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” Others cried out, “Death to the enemies of God!” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge.
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.(UGC via AP)
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (UGC via AP)
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)
A slogan is written on a wall reading in Farsi: "Death to dictator" in an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)
A placard is placed on bricks which reads in Farsi: "Long live the Shah," referring to the Pahlavi dynasty which was toppled by 1979 Islamic Revolution, in an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)
This frame grab from videos taken between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2026, and circulating on social media purportedly shows images from a morgue with dozens of bodies and mourners after crackdown on the outskirts of Iran's capital, in Kahrizak, Tehran Province. (UGC via AP)
A picture of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is set alight by protesters outside the Iranian Embassy in London, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media shows protesters dancing and cheering around a bonfire as they take to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)
FILE - Protesters march on a bridge in Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 29, 2025. (Fars News Agency via AP, File)
