St. Louis Cardinals Have A Lot to Sell for a Rebuilding Team

The Cardinals seem to be at the beginning of what they hope is a short rebuild. Can they speed up the process by making some key trades?

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 24: St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) warms up in the on deck circle in the first inning during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 24, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals have long been one of the most successful and respected organizations in baseball. Since 2000, the Cardinals have won as many World Series as they have had sub-.500 seasons.

Putting together competitive rosters year after year without rebuilding is impressive and something they should be proud of. However, the Cardinals standard might be taking a backseat.

John Mozeliak, who’s been the General Manager/President of Baseball Operations since 2007, is leaving after the 2025 season and being replaced by Boston’s former GM, Chaim Bloom.

Franchise cornerstone Paul Goldschmidt is already gone, and Nolan Arenado is next in line. Change has happened with more to come, right?

Ad – content continues below

All indications are pointing toward some variation of a rebuild or retool. According to Bet MGM, the Cardinals are projected to finish (tied) with the lowest win total in the NL Central with the over/under set at 76.5. That number will likely shift if more players are moved to stack the prospect pool.

Although Goldschmidt is gone, the Cardinals have not moved their other key pieces and the clock is ticking. Are they trying to complete, in some fashion, or are they focusing on the future?

Spring training is right around the corner and all of their trade assets are still on the team.

Position Players Who Could Be on the Trade Block

I know the Cardinals are new to this rebuilding thing but someone should tell them an important step is trading away some assets. Once the last few remaining impact-free agents are signed, the trade market could have a quick run.

Sure, that sounds good in theory. Wait until teams fill a few holes and trade with the desperate ones, but it rarely is that easy.

Nolan Arenado

We know the Arenado situation. A declined trade to the Astros is looking like a poor decision, but he has every right to do what he did.

Ad – content continues below

I find it hard to believe he starts the season in St. Louis, and if he does, the Cardinals better cross their fingers hoping he’s productive enough to trade during the season.

Willson Contreras

A player I think the Cardinals need to move is Willson Contreras. He’ll turn 33 during the season and is under contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028 for $17.5 million, $5 million buy out. Like Arenado, Contreras has a no-trade clause and might not have an interest in leaving St. Louis.

After briefly moving him to the outfield and now apparently trying him at first, I could see where a trade might be welcomed. He still provides a ton of offense and his contract is reasonable for any team serious about winning.

Lars Nootbar

The last position player I think could be moved is Lars Nootbar. He’s young, has two more years of arbitration, flashed plus tools, and is always injured. Enough talent for several teams to be interested in, but he probably falls under the “move at the deadline if we bottom out” category.

Pitchers Who Could be on the Trade Block

St. Louis’ best option might be to focus on moving some of their pitchers. With no-trade clauses making their position player trade bucket complicated, the Cardinals could offload a few arms to kick their rebuild into high gear.

And, no, I’m not talking about Sonny Gray who has a no-trade clause and a big chunk of money due in 2026. Convincing one player to waive their no-trade clause, while likely eating money on the deal, is hard enough and Arenado seems to be that player.

Ad – content continues below

Two starters and two bullpen arms, at minimum, should be available. Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, Jojo Romero, and Ryan Helsey.

Erick Fedde

Fedde, who was acquired last deadline, will be a free agent after 2025. His salary is only $7.5 million this season which is about three times lower than what his production is worth.

Low salary, effective pitcher, expiring deal. A lot of teams would be willing to cash in some prospects to add Fedde to their rotation.

Steven Matz

Matz will be more difficult to move unless he first can prove he’s healthy and pitching well. An expiring contract ($12.5 M) could be paid down if Arenado and/or Gray are not moved. I doubt Matz has much of any value right now, so waiting and hoping might be the Cardinals’ best strategy.

One rule I strongly believe for rebuilding teams is to move your bullpen arms. Capitalize when you can because too many have up and down seasons and let’s be honest, who needs a good bullpen when you are rebuilding?

JoJo Romero

JoJo Romero has fixed his control issues and essentially has two seasons under his belt, both solid, but not spectacular. A lefty, with two years of control, a sinker/slider combo will be a piece teams would love to add. But, the big name is Ryan Helsley.

Ad – content continues below

Ryan Helsley

In the final year of his deal, Helsley is a more traditional closer option and probably the best *available* bullpen arm on the trade market.

A fastball that sits around 100 mph and a slider that produces a 51% whiff rate fits into any bullpen. Helsley comes with three-straight years of great production and only a roughly $8 million price tag.

St. Louis is unlikely to sign him long-term, so why not trade him?

A pitcher of his caliber, even on an expiring deal, brings back a high-level prospect. I cannot see waiting until the deadline helping his value. A full year compared to a few months of Helsley is a big difference and coming off his 2024 season, can his value get any higher? I do not think so.

Final Thoughts

Luckily, the Cardinals are not the type of team that needs to drop to a $50 million payroll and bottom out for three years before coming back to contending. They have enough young talent to expediate the process, if they do it correctly.

The path to contention, while the players listed above are still on the team or in their prime, is more cloudy. There’s a non-zero chance everything can go right this season and the Cardinals sneak into the playoffs. Do you want to roll the dice and see if the stars align or do you want to give yourself a better chance in years to come?

Ad – content continues below

St. Louis has a smart and passionate fanbase. They will see through any one foot in, one foot out, type of season. The front office needs to recognize and be honest about what this roster is and pivot towards the future before it is too late.