Trade Deadline

[Talkin' Baseball]

There are now less than 6 weeks until the trade deadline and it seems the Giants and Red Sox have kick-started the festivities. The Cards have a chance to re-set, replenish, and reinforce their roster in a lot of ways. If you’ve been reading any of my posts, I’ve been saying since the offseason that the Cardinals should rearrange their roster. I would like to see the Cardinals package some players who still have some team control along with the rentals to get better returns.
For the Cardinals, I would like to see them get at least 2-3 upside players- players that we can clearly see how they would fit and the upgrade they could be. Aside from getting something for players who won’t be back next season, the Cardinals need to sort out (re-set?) their roster in some ways. They have too many catchers. They have too many middle infielders. They have too many old AAA players who will never factor in. They have too many left-handed hitting outfielders.
The AL will be a white-hot market. At the time of this post, aside from the 6 teams with playoff positions, there are 6 teams within 2 games of the 3rd wildcard spot and Baltimore is rising. In the NL, there are 3 teams (aside from us) within 3 games of the 3rd wildcard and Atlanta is rising. I make the assumption that we will not be trading within the division.
Some of these front offices will be working for their jobs. Looking at you Seattle, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The teams whose needs match up best with what the Cardinals have to offer AND have good farm systems to draw from are Boston, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Texas. These front offices are also known for being very aggressive. Ironically, three of them are led by former players.
I will be posting a few trade ideas in separate threads. If you don’t want to read about or discuss that- just pass them by. I know this is not fantasy baseball and not all of these will get done. Hopefully, if there are enough targets a few of them can get done (or variations of them). Some of these moves, or players, could wait for the offseason. I would at least test the waters now. Another note, I don’t have my own algorithms set up, so I have used Baseball Trade Values to check myself. It is not the end-all, be-all, just an outside reference to double-check ideas against.

[redbirdfan51]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23.

[redbirdfan51]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. Cards could hopefully add more young pitching depth. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23. I'm not sold on moving Nado and Fedde if the Cards are serious on contending.

[11WSChamps]

Fedde and Helsley could be a nice package in a potential deal.

Mcgreevy would then take Fedde's place in the rotation.

[ClassicO]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. Cards could hopefully add more young pitching depth. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23. I'm not sold on moving Nado and Fedde if the Cards are serious on contending.

I don’t think they are “contending,” if by that you mean for a ring.
If it’s just winning a WC spot and losing out early in the playoffs, I don’t agree.
The Cardinals have four players who should be moved or they’ll get nothing back: Fedde, Matz, Miko and Helsley. Getting nothing back would prevent them from truly contending in future years. Mikolas will be hard to move.

[Futuregm2]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. Cards could hopefully add more young pitching depth. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23. I'm not sold on moving Nado and Fedde if the Cards are serious on contending.

I don’t think they are “contending,” if by that you mean for a ring.
If it’s just winning a WC spot and losing out early in the playoffs, I don’t agree.
The Cardinals have four players who should be moved or they’ll get nothing back: Fedde, Matz, Miko and Helsley. Getting nothing back would prevent them from truly contending in future years. Mikolas will be hard to move.

I disagree with this statement. Helsley is the only one that will bring back a good prospect and even that is questionable given his injury history and lack of great play this year. I don’t see how not dealing them is going to prevent the team from contending in future years. In the case of a Fedde, at best you’re talking about a Flaherty like return, which hasn’t helped the club at all. With Mikolas/Matz you’re probably talking even less. The biggest impact dealing them or not dealing them will make is getting extra MLB time for McGreevy and Mathews this year.

[cardstatman]

No trades likely unless the Cards fall back.

If they do fall back, then you have to trade Fedde, Matz, Helsley, and Maton. That makes room for McGreevy, Mathews, and guys like Curtis Taylor or Graceffo, O'Brien, Granillo, Svanson, Mosqueda while hopefully adding significant new talent to the miLB queue. Cards can try out new closers.

I'm listening on Romero since he's only got one more year of control.

With Herrera looking like a DH and Contreras at 1B, Gorman could be available to anyone thinking they can fix him. He's blocking Saggese and soon Wetherholt.

On the blockbuster side, Donovan is very attractive and as a centerpiece would bring back a haul but you would have to really believe in Wetherholt for 2026 before trading Donovan since he's currently your best position player! I'm not liking this idea. Also, I don't want to rush Wetherholt.

With a lot of pitching leaving soon, most of the talent coming back needs to be young pitching.

With Mikolas, Matz, Fedde, Helsley coming off the payroll, there should be money to spend to plug one or two gaps. 2025 was about determining where the gaps exist. However, maybe the best use of $$$ is to extend above average players who's control is running out.

As always, as a seller at the deadline, if the Cards don't figure to win the trade long term, then no deal.

[Bob Kunush]

A combo of Fedde and Helsley might get you back a decent prospect and a lottery ticket or two, like Montgomery and Stratton did. Or even a Fedde and one of Maton or Romero or even Matz. Mikolas and Matz are mostly likely salary dumps that importanty create opportunities for younger players. I would be surprised to see Arenado traded with Gorman seeming to less than exciting as a prospect these days.

The Cardinals really need to find a trading partner that has a rightfield outfield prospect glut and trade from our catchers supply to rebalance the high minors. Or trade a guy like Gorman for a decent outfield/pitching prospect in the low to mid minors.

We need creative trades. I am not a Mo basher but he has not done a lot of those in recent years and he hates giving up on his prospects until too late.

Donavon would bring a nice return and if they dont think they want to to extend him that might be the right move but it seems more likely that would be an off-season trade possibility.

[ClassicO]

No trades likely unless the Cards fall back.

If they do fall back, then you have to trade Fedde, Matz, Helsley, and Maton. That makes room for McGreevy, Mathews, and guys like Curtis Taylor or Graceffo, O'Brien, Granillo, Svanson, Mosqueda while hopefully adding significant new talent to the miLB queue. Cards can try out new closers.

I'm listening on Romero since he's only got one more year of control.

With Herrera looking like a DH and Contreras at 1B, Gorman could be available to anyone thinking they can fix him. He's blocking Saggese and soon Wetherholt.

On the blockbuster side, Donovan is very attractive and as a centerpiece would bring back a haul but you would have to really believe in Wetherholt for 2026 before trading Donovan since he's currently your best position player! I'm not liking this idea. Also, I don't want to rush Wetherholt.

With a lot of pitching leaving soon, most of the talent coming back needs to be young pitching.

With Mikolas, Matz, Fedde, Helsley coming off the payroll, there should be money to spend to plug one or two gaps. 2025 was about determining where the gaps exist. However, maybe the best use of $$$ is to extend above average players who's control is running out.

As always, as a seller at the deadline, if the Cards don't figure to win the trade long term, then no deal.

Well said, and I agree, but I think it happens even if they are a few games back of a spot, because this team isn't built for a WS run. They'll get some young talent in trades. Experienced pitching is too big of a need in the league.

[ClassicO]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. Cards could hopefully add more young pitching depth. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23. I'm not sold on moving Nado and Fedde if the Cards are serious on contending.

I don’t think they are “contending,” if by that you mean for a ring.
If it’s just winning a WC spot and losing out early in the playoffs, I don’t agree.
The Cardinals have four players who should be moved or they’ll get nothing back: Fedde, Matz, Miko and Helsley. Getting nothing back would prevent them from truly contending in future years. Mikolas will be hard to move.

I disagree with this statement. Helsley is the only one that will bring back a good prospect and even that is questionable given his injury history and lack of great play this year. I don’t see how not dealing them is going to prevent the team from contending in future years. In the case of a Fedde, at best you’re talking about a Flaherty like return, which hasn’t helped the club at all. With Mikolas/Matz you’re probably talking even less. The biggest impact dealing them or not dealing them will make is getting extra MLB time for McGreevy and Mathews this year.

Agree to disagree. And, since I firmly believe they won't go anywhere this year, they have to have a plan.

Plan A - They go nowhere if they keep them; and
Plan B - They go nowhere if they trade them -- but they have more arrows in their quiver for future years. JMO

[Futuregm2]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. Cards could hopefully add more young pitching depth. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23. I'm not sold on moving Nado and Fedde if the Cards are serious on contending.

I don’t think they are “contending,” if by that you mean for a ring.
If it’s just winning a WC spot and losing out early in the playoffs, I don’t agree.
The Cardinals have four players who should be moved or they’ll get nothing back: Fedde, Matz, Miko and Helsley. Getting nothing back would prevent them from truly contending in future years. Mikolas will be hard to move.

I disagree with this statement. Helsley is the only one that will bring back a good prospect and even that is questionable given his injury history and lack of great play this year. I don’t see how not dealing them is going to prevent the team from contending in future years. In the case of a Fedde, at best you’re talking about a Flaherty like return, which hasn’t helped the club at all. With Mikolas/Matz you’re probably talking even less. The biggest impact dealing them or not dealing them will make is getting extra MLB time for McGreevy and Mathews this year.

Agree to disagree. And, since I firmly believe they won't go anywhere this year, they have to have a plan.

Plan A - They go nowhere if they keep them; and
Plan B - They go nowhere if they trade them -- but they have more arrows in their quiver for future years. JMO

Well they aren’t led with Bloom yet so I don’t believe they fully have that plan in tact, quite yet. Although they’ve gotten some good personnel into place this past offseason with Cerfolio and company. But until Mozeliak is gone after this season, the team is still going to be run by him.

And I just don’t think that the return they will get for the guys not named Helsley is going to be much for the future, so I don’t know how they would keep us from contending in the future. The more critical aspect IMO is the impact that having MLB experience for McGreevy and possibly Mathews or even Roby/Hence/etc. come August/September has on their futures for 2026 and beyond. The other stuff, I don’t believe the return is going to be that great outside of Helsley and as I said I question whether that return would even be worth it given how he’s been playing and his injury history. I don’t see us with a Montgomery for Saggese/Roby kind of trade unless we’re willing to trade someone like Brendan Donovan or Nootbaar. And that’s not the bold move Mo usually makes.

[RamFan08NY]

I would not be surprised to see the Cards try to move Helsley. I could also see the Card moving Gorman, who has been given multiple opportunities to claim a starting job. Some would say Walker , but he just turned 23.

I agree with all BUT, your statement about Girman given multiple opportunities to earn a starting job. He has been a spot starter all season. Getting 1-2 starts per week is not multiple opportunities to earn a starting job. Not with Donny, Herrera, Arenado, and Burly ahead of him.

If the team had gotten 10-15 games under .500, perhaps he may have been given a bigger role.