Ten-time Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado has confirmed he will represent Puerto Rico in the Classic.

Ten-time Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Arizona Diamondbacks during the offseason, has confirmed he will represent Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC) this March. MLB officially shared this information today on their social media platform X, making it Arenado’s debut with the Puerto Rican national team.

The 34-year-old Arenado was born in California, USA, and qualifies to represent Puerto Rico through his mother’s Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. He previously played for Team USA in the 2017 and 2023 Classics, winning the championship in 2017 and finishing as runner-up to Japan in 2023. His change of national team is one of the highlights of this tournament.

However, Arenado’s offensive performance has declined in recent years. Last season with the Cardinals, he played 107 games, hitting only 12 home runs and driving in 52 runs, with a batting average of .237 and an OPS of .666—both career lows—leading the rebuilding Cardinals to trade him away.

Puerto Rico’s team is managed by former Cardinals legend catcher Yadier Molina. Molina revealed that 11 MLB players have confirmed participation, including New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor, Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios, as well as internationally experienced players like Javier Báez, Martín Maldonado, and Victor Caratini, making the roster star-studded.

Puerto Rico has been placed in Group A for the preliminary round, competing against Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia, with the early stage games hosted on their home turf.

Arenado, who has accumulated 1,921 hits, 353 home runs, and 1,184 RBIs in his career, has hit at least 30 home runs in seven seasons and won the Gold Glove award ten times. His defensive skills remain among the best in the league. With Arenado’s confirmation to join, Puerto Rico continues to strengthen its roster as it pursues the championship.