The St. Louis Cardinals are still in limbo on whether they will buy or sell at the trade deadline. The team is in the middle of the postseason race as July looms. However, they are still focused on the future and the young talent in the organization. If they decide to be sellers, they have several trade chips that make sense and could be appealing to teams on the market.
Cardinals Should Be Sellers at Trade Deadline
The Case for Selling
The Cardinals’ success so far this year is a somewhat unexpected development. The team announced at the end of last seasonthat they would be cutting payroll and focusing on youth development. However, the team maintained it would not be a rebuilding year. Management routinely categorized it as a “reset.”
The organization has come through on the promise to give young players runway. Players under Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, and Ivan Herrera have all seen increased playing time this year. Andre Pallante and Matthew Liberatore have become relied-upon starters. While initially the Cardinals struggled to find Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson playing time, the pair have been in the lineup most days for the past month.
Will John Mozeliak attempt to go out on a high note with an aggressive trade deadline in his final year with the Cardinals?@KatieJWoo says he can upgrade the roster while still accommodating the future. pic.twitter.com/LXjsJkp47X
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The Cardinals still could be doing better on the youth front. Players like Michael McGreevy and Thomas Saggese have been kept in the minors most of the season. Both appear ready for the big leagues. St. Louis is still the MLB team with the least roster turnover from last year. With several veteran players, many on expiring deals, the organization could use the trade deadline as an opportunity to make room for players who could be future pieces.
The Most Likely Trade Candidates
If the Cardinals do execute a trade, it will likely be for prospects or perhaps a young player in need of a change of scenery. A trio of veteran pitchers could be the most likely to be moved. Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, and Erick Fedde are all over 30 — 36, 34, and 32, respectively. They are also all in the final year of their current deals. It’s not likely the Cardinals will resign any one of them in the offseason as they continue to focus on youth in the organization.
Fedde has the least money on his deal at $7.5 million this season. He is having a respectable season with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.298 WHIP in 15 starts. A contending team in need of a starter down the stretch could be calling the organization if they are selling. Matz is having the best season of the trio, with a 3.19 ERA and 1.110 WHIP mostly coming out of the bullpen, but also stretched out as a starter. He is making $12.5 million this season. While that’s more money to move, he is a versatile pitcher who is having his best season in years.
Erick Fedde avoided decapitation AND got the out pic.twitter.com/FyA8fU01bf
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Then there’s the Cardinals’ All-Star closer Ryan Helsley. Helsley is in his last year of arbitration and will be a free agent when the season ends. He is one year removed from setting the franchise record in saves for a season and leading the league in saves while doing it. Helsley will demand a high price at the end of the season, and it is unclear if the Cardinals will be willing to pay it. He will perhaps draw the biggest return if the Cardinals decide to move him.
The More Difficult Trade Chips
This winter, the Cardinals had a trade in place for Nolan Arenado to the Houston Astros before the star third baseman vetoed it. His contract is very difficult to move. For one thing, he has a no-trade clause, so he won’t be moved unless it’s a place he wants to go. He is signed for two years beyond this one and entered the season with $64 million on his contract. That includes deferred money paid out through 2041.
Moving Arenado opens up space for Gorman and Saggese to get more playing time. It also creates a runway in the long term for the Cardinals’ top prospect JJ Wetherholt when he is ready for the big leagues. For Arenado to accept a trade, it likely has to be to a contender. The Southern California native has shown interest in playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Dodgers didn’t show a willingness to make a move for the aging star this offseason.
Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray are two more high-priced veterans who saw trade speculation this offseason. However, both players told the organization they wanted to stay. Contreras has settled in nicely at his new home at first base. He is signed through the 2028 season. Gray is signed through the 2027 season. Neither are likely to be traded. However, if the Cardinals go into selling mode and get a good return, they are not safe from the trade deadline.
A Lot Depends on the Next Month
The Cardinals have a pivotal stretch over the next several weeks. Six of their next 12 games are against the division-leading Chicago Cubs. Those games will provide a measuring stick on whether the team is a competitor in the division. If the Cardinals hold on to postseason positioning heading into the All-Star Break, they may not sell. If they fall behind by then, it will be tempting to cash out.
“Hopefully we have a lot of success and we have some challenging decisions to make when we get to that trading deadline,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told KMOX radio on June 15.
Mozeliak will be stepping down at the end of the season to make way for Chaim Bloom. While Mozeliak is still captain of the ship, he did concede that he wants decisions that will impact the future to be collaborative with Bloom.
“As we start to have to consider decisions that will impact 2026 and beyond, we definitely want to have his input,” Mozeliak told KMOX.
Main Photo Credit: © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The post The Case for the Cardinals to Be Sellers at the Trade Deadline appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.