The St Louis Cardinals are entering a rebuild. Former Red Sox and Rays executive Chaim Bloom is in town running minor-league operations this year before he takes over everything next year. They let Paul Goldschmidt walk in free agency, declined options on Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, and did not give out any long-term deals. But the trade market dried up for the Cardinals this offseason. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal crushed the front office for not trading Nolan Arenado, Erick Fedde, and Ryan Helsley before the season.
“It won’t be any of the St. Louis Cardinals, whose biggest accomplishment this season might be trading third baseman Nolan Arenado, right-hander Erick Fedde and closer Ryan Helsley — moves they should have made already, though Arenado foiled a deal to the Astros by invoking his no-trade clause,” Rosenthal wrote.
Arenado was on the block all offseason long, but they could not secure a deal. He declined the deal to the Astros, and while rumors swirled around the Yankees, nothing came to fruition. The pitchers were not part of the conversation publicly, but should be on the move before the trade deadline.
Opening Day is about hope for so many teams, but Cardinals fans are hoping for a solid trade deadline this season.
The Cardinals must trade all of their veterans
With a new regime coming in next year, the Cardinals should be ready to sell at the trade deadline. They have solid veterans who can be important pieces to championship rosters, but they won’t compete this season. Arenado, Helsley, and Fedde will be the big names, but there are plenty of other players they could move out.
In the rotation, long-time Cardinal Miles Mikolas is also a pending free agent. He struggled for most of last year but if he bounces back early this season, there will be teams calling on him. Mikolas has made 99 starts over the past three years and lasts deep into games routinely.
Sonny Gray is signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027. The Cardinals owe him a lot of money and would likely have to retain some money in a trade. They should do that to get better prospects from a team looking for a solid starter at the back end of their rotation.
The Cardinals have their eyes on the future, and the best way to set that up is by trading Nolan Arenado, Erick Fedde, Ryan Helsley, and more. St Louis hosts the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day.
