3 big-name stars the Cardinals would be wise to trade to kickstart rebuild

The St. Louis Cardinals are on the edge of a massive roster rebuild. For the last few seasons, they have toed the line between contending and rebuilding, opting to stay on the optimistic side of contending. St. Louis should have entered their rebuild a few years ago. But, they've pushed it back, which has likely caused the rebuild to be more difficult and complex than expected.

The 2025 season will be conducted under the watch of president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, who will hand the reigns over to Chaim Bloom as his successor in 2026.

There is growing belief that the Cardinals will kickstart their rebuild in the final year of Mozeliak, allowing Bloom to take over with a clean slate. If the Cardinals opt to begin their rebuild this winter, they would be wise to move these three star veterans.

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3 stars Cardinals would be wise to trade to kickstart rebuild

3. RHP Ryan Helsley

Last season, the hottest market at the trade deadline was the relief pitcher market. Pitchers like Tanner Scott and Carlos Estevez garnered huge returns when they were dealt at the deadline. Neither of those two pitchers are nearly as dominant as the Cardinals' closer, Ryan Helsley, who St. Louis would be wise to move if they're ready to begin their rebuild.

Having an elite closer is worthwhile for the competitive teams in the league. But as you move down the line, bullpen arms are no longer that valuable because they cannot generate a WAR like starting pitchers or position players. Imagine how much less valuable Emmanuel Clase would have been on the Chicago White Sox this season.

For St. Louis, dealing Helsley would hurt, but it would be the smartest decision to make. Helsley recorded 49 saves in 66.1 innings in 2024. He held a 2.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. His triple digit fastball often dominates even the best hitters across the league.

Because of this, Helsley would garner a huge return of prospects that would help kickstart this rebuild in the best possible way. Helsley is set to enter free agency in 2026, so St. Louis could even look to bring him back after they trade him away.

2. RHP Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray has been speculated to be one of the more likely Cardinals to be thrown on the trade block this offseason. St. Louis is attached to a few more years of a massive contract that will pay Gray upwards of $60 million over the course of the rest of his contract.

Gray is a veteran arm while St. Louis has a plethora of young prospects banging on the door of the big leagues. In all honesty, none of the 35+ year old veterans will be a contributing piece of the team by the next time St. Louis is ready to field a World Series caliber team. So the Cardinals would be wise to deal these veterans while they can still get value in return.

While they should try to move Lynn, Mikolas, and maybe even Gibson from their starting rotation, Gray makes the most sense because there are a lot of teams that would bite on him.

Gray made 28 starts holding a 3.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and an impressive 3.12 FIP. That kind of production would be welcomed to any contending team, especially watching how many teams have struggled with pitching depth in the postseason this year.

1. 3B Nolan Arenado

The Cardinals have one of the best veteran infielders in the league attached to a contract with three more years on it. But, the Cardinals likely won't be competitive during this three year stretch, so Nolan Arenado would be better off traded for a massive package of prospects.

Arenado, 33, slashed .272/.325/.394 with Gold Glove caliber defense. He's a 10-time Gold Glove winner and a six-time Platinum Glove winner and he still showcases this defense dominance at this point in his career. He's tallied over 100 home runs in his 601 games with the Cardinals while holding an OPS+ of 119 with the team.

There are a ton of teams that could be interested in trading for Arenado. Teams like the Yankees, potentially the Astros, the Dodgers and the Tigers could all be interested in adding the expensive veteran.

But for the Cardinals, trading him now would net the highest return. There aren't very many infielders that are available in free agency this offseason that can offer what Arenado can. The Cardinals would have the advantage of dealing a player better than any option in free agency. This could really drive his price tag up.