The Cardinals are amidst a transition year. That's true literally, as John Mozeliak will turn control of baseball operations to Chaim Bloom at season's end. Dating back to last fall, they've framed this season as one primarily about evaluating and developing young players. It's not a rebuild, but their only move to improve over the winter was a bargain $2MM signing of setup man Phil Maton.
It set them up as expected deadline sellers. Impending free agents Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde ranked among the likeliest players to move in July. It was surprising that the Cards even held both players into the season. Nolan Arenado's contract and no-trade clause meant he'd be a tough player to move midseason, but those rumors figured to resurface.
The team is trying its best to avoid those conversations. They have a 34-27 record that has them narrowly ahead of San Francisco and Milwaukee for the NL's final playoff spot. They've outscored opponents by 28 runs, giving them the fifth-best run differential in the National League. They went an MLB-best 19-8 in May. They've played like a contender so far. One opposing GM who was eyeing trade targets on the St. Louis roster succinctly told Jeff Passan of ESPN this week that the team's better than expected play "sucks" for potential buyers.
Much can change in the next six to eight weeks, but the front office may find itself in a tricky spot. Mozeliak addressed the situation in a chat with Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch last week. "We went into this year with an understanding this was going to be about opportunity for players and depending on what they do with it would determine our next steps, right?" he rhetorically asked. "So when you think about how the public had us as sellers — whether it was selling this offseason or selling at the trade deadline. It might look a little different based on how we’re playing."
It's an acknowledgment that the team could play its way off selling. At the same time, that wouldn't provide much clarity on how aggressively the team should add if they remain competitive. That's a tougher call, especially because of the way their first half has unfolded. The team may be better than expected, but the production has come mostly from their more established players -- particularly on offense. If the Cards are going to upgrade, the most obvious spots to do so would limit the playing time of a pair of young hitters on whom much of their season is supposed to be focused.
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My guess is they will do something similar to last year. Mcgreevy belongs in the bigs and hopefully will stay up this time. Matthews could very well be ready by July. They could trade away a guy like Fedde for a bat, specifically a right handed bat that can play some outfield. Tyrone Taylor of the Mets is a guy that would be a really good fit and the Mets are one of the few teams with an excess of right handed outfielders.
King: But the Mets have no need for Fedde.
Called a 3 team deal champ.
Seems kind of ironic that the two teams that match up the best in terms of need and prospects are the Cubs and Cardinals. The Cubs could use Gray and Helsley but any trade has as much chance of happening as the sun coming up in the West tomorrow.
Yeah the Cardinals could use Tucker.
What the heck are you talking about?
Who dat at da doh?
The Cubs aren’t trading Tucker because at the worst he’s going to bring back a right after the first round compensatory pick in 26 but the Cubs have Caissie and Alcantara who can play RF and young pitchers they can move like McCullough, Birdsell, Neely, Little that could be replacements but it’s not going to happen. I mean you’re not getting Horton, Brown or Wiggins but there are a lot of options there. Plus Rojas and Christian Hernandez probably have no future here with Swanson signed until 29 and with no movement protection. If they didn’t hate each other they’d be fair trade partners.
I mean it all depends on who’s doing the trading right? Mozeliak or Bloom?
Draft pick would be after round 2 and the competitive round b
I don’t think the Cardinals are selling. Perhaps they trade Fedde and the Cubs could maybe use him but I think they need someone better. And the Cardinals will want immediate help back not prospects which doesn’t line up with the Cubs.
King of Cards: But the Mets are in first place and have no need to trade Taylor.
Baseball isn’t all about the Cardinals.
The Mets have too many outfielders. Look it up.
I watch them every day, and Taylor is their best centerfielder.
The most expendable one is Starling Marte, who no longer plays CF. I could see them maybe parting with Jeff McNeil, who also plays 2B.
The only guy on the Cardinals roster of use to the Mets is Helsley.
Gray has said he won’t waive his no trade clause and his family is staying put.
The Mets are also very short of capable CFers, even ones with an 83 OPS+.
You should be the GM champ
John Mozeliak will definitely be a Seller at the trading deadline!!! “Any” of their Quality Players will be available!!!
No matter what the Cardinals record is at the trade deadline, do Not expect any Positive help from the Cardinals Front Office while Mozeliak is still in charge.
Mozeliak is the reason the Cardinals Attendance is low —- (As verified at the stadium as he’s greeted by the Boo Birds each and every time he’s introduced).
Fans suspect —- just as he’s generally done at the trading deadlines of recent past …. he’s going to tear down what is making the Cardinals tick toward a winning attitude in 2025 —- in stead of positively building for a run at a play-off birth.
(As soon as Mozeliak and his Forked Tongue are gone out of the Cardinals franchise for good, —— yearly attendance will pick back up to the annual 3 Million mark!!!)
John Mozeliak will not be the one in charge of the trades this deadline I guarantee that. He may make any announcements but Bloom will make the call. It’s his team going forward.
Very, very carefully….
Stuck in the middle of…
By doing the opposite of whatever they will eventually try to do.
Trade way all their prospects in a desperate attempt to contend one more time before Mozeliak leaves.
They need to cut off the dead ends off the old guys, eat Arenado money if need be. Young core looks solid, start building around that
No
Can’t do anything with Arenado without his consent.
You can DFA him.
But if he’s not claimed on waivers, which is unlikely, the Cardinals would still be on the hook for his salary etc.
Why would they DFA him? That would be absurd.
They will do nothing.
Which is fine until Mo has left the building.
Might as well take shot. No way cubs keep winning at the current pace in second half
Unless, of course, they do.
The Cubs have played the 3rd easiest schedule in MLB and are .500 against .500 teams. So slow your roll. The Cards have a better record against teams with a record over .500 and have played the 6th toughest schedule in the league.
I wouldn’t say that until I saw what the Cubs do on the trade front. Hoyer is desperate because he wants that extension and it all depends on him winning in the Playoffs. No telling what he’ll do.
The NL Central team more likely to make a deal with Cubs is the Pirates. Pirates will trade either Bednar or Santana for a solid prospect.
I could see the Cardinals doing nothing and missing the playoffs by just 3-4 games.
There was a time when I wanted the Cubs to get Bednar. But it’s long gone. And Santana? Thanks but no thanks.
It depends on the return. Not a team top six.
Maybe Anthony Bender from the Marlins, too.
Now that guy I’d love to get for the Cubs. Thumbs up!
Have you seen Bednar lately, like the past 1.5 seasons? Can’t see the Cubs or many other’s giving up much of value to get a shaky backend RP. Cubs bullpen has stabilized quite a bit, in fact, they hadn’t allowed a run for a month until giving up one in garbage time last night. Much likely to trade for a starting pitcher than 8th/9th reliever. Cubs still have Hodge coming back in a couple weeks as well.
Agreed, can’t see either being able to crack the lineup, and no idea why the Cubs would need an aging lefty 1B when we have Busch and Turner and can call up Ballesteros or Cassie if we need lefty thump.
16:
Dennis Santana, a pitcher with the Pirates, not Carlos Santana.
The Cubs have a loaded farm system. They will be making moves.
They have until 3 days to 3 hours before deadline to decide. Might as well buy if they still own a playoff spot. They didn’t sell in off season.
Stay the course. Trade the veterans, play the young guys. One good month shouldn’t cause any team to blow up it’s plan and make knee jerk decisions.
This team is better than expected, which is great. This team is not a finished product and trading prospects for marginal veterans won’t make it a finished product.
The real priorities for the next two months should be A) the draft, and B) extensions for Donovan, Noot, and Winn. If an extension can’t be worked out for either Donny or Noot, they should both be on the block at the deadline. I HATE saying that. But they are both at peak value right now and their team control is dwindling. I want them both in St Louis for the long term, but if they won’t sign, now is the time to trade them.
I think the extension decisions can wait until the offseason.
Yuck. I don’t know what 11 people gave this comment a like but yuck.
The team is playing well and that was with zero effort to improve in the offseason. If the front office actually puts forth some effort the team could be even better. And who suggested trading prospects? Definitely could trade a catcher. Otherwise just get some players that only cost money. You don’t have to mortgage the future to help the 2025 teams chances.
Trade for Ozuna, rental won’t hurt much
I think they’ll deal Helsley if they can get a good return — whether we are in contention or not. He’s not exactly lights out. I think we could deal Mikolas and Fedde. Some talented pitching prospects in McGreevy, Mathews, Hence and Roby.