Before first pitch, Nolan Arenado walks off the Busch Stadium field for what could be the final time as a Cardinal

Outgoing St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was recognized on the field before the final home game of the season on Sunday, drawing polite applause from the half-capacity crowd.

Mo, who began his career in professional baseball as a left-handed batting practice pitcher with the Colorado Rockies, rifled a pretty solid offering from the Busch Stadium mound, drawing more considerate cheers to conclude what was a subdued, but respectful ceremony for the long-time shepherd of the St. Louis baseball operations department.

The crowd's recognition of Mozeliak, though, wasn't the only pregame pomp. St. Louis fans were presented an opportunity to honor another member of the Cardinals organization—one who is, technically, still under contract beyond the waning days of this 2025 season.

The Cardinals announced a last-minute lineup change, one that would prove to be merely ceremonial as Nolan Arenado replaced Nolan Gorman as the starting third baseman. But only briefly.

Before the first pitch of the game from Matthew Liberatore, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol went out to the mound and substituted Arenado out of the game.

It gave fans the St. Louis fans the chance to express their appreciation for Arenado—for what the tea leaves suggest might have been the final time.

The 34-year-old third baseman has two years remaining on his contract, but with the growing sense that the Cardinals are still in the early stages of what could end up being a multi-year rebuild, Sunday's gesture highlights the realistic possibility that the future Hall of Fame candidate will be playing out these years in another uniform.