3 St. Louis Cardinals who won’t be back if Nolan Arenado trade falls through

John Mozeliak was not shy when it came to revealing that the St. Louis Cardinals were looking to move on from Nolan Arenado in the 2024 offseason. This didn't come as much of a surprise, as Mozeliak made it clear that the organization's goals this offseason were to prioritize giving young players as many reps as possible, and to clear money off the team's payroll. Arenado is 33 years old and is owed a good amount of money over the next three years, so he seemed like a logical trade candidate.

After weeks of waiting, it seemed as if the Cardinals had finally found their Arenado suitor. The Houston Astros appeared ready to move on from Alex Bregman in free agency, and were even willing to take on most of Arenado's remaining money. Unfortunately for St. Louis, Arenado invoked his no-trade clause, blocking a potential deal with Houston.

The Astros quickly pivoted and signed Christian Walker, eliminating themselves from the Arenado sweepstakes. Unfortunately, with the Astros out of the running, it's unclear whether Arenado will get dealt at all, as there doesn't seem to be much demand to acquire him.

Trading Arenado is the easiest way for the Cardinals to clear payroll and give playing time to younger players, but that isn't the only way they can accomplish those goals. If they cannot find an Arenado partner, the Cardinals are reportedly prepared to trade a few starting pitchers instead, according to Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required).

With that in mind, here are three pitchers who the Cardinals might look to move if Arenado stays put in St. Louis.

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3. Miles Mikolas will be traded if the Cardinals can find a suitor

The most expensive pitcher on this Cardinals roster is Sonny Gray who, like Arenado, has a no-trade clause. He has given no indication that he's willing to waive it.

The second-most expensive pitcher on the Cardinals roster is Miles Mikolas, who is making $17.6 million in the final year of his deal. Mikolas was once a very solid arm for St. Louis but is clearly past his prime. He was one of the worst pitchers in the National League this past season, posting a 5.32 ERA in 32 starts and 171.2 innings of work. Mikolas had the second-highest ERA in the National League among qualified starters.

While this past season was a rough one for Mikolas, he does provide some value as a durable innings eater. He has made at least 32 starts in each of his last three seasons and has thrown at least 200 innings in three of the last five full seasons (excluding 2020).

It's unlikely that the Cardinals will find a team willing to take on all of Mikolas' money, but if they're willing to eat some of the contract, they might be able to find a taker, freeing themselves of some money and replacing the 36-year-old with a younger arm.

2. The Cardinals could look to move Steven Matz in the final year of his deal

The Cardinals gave Steven Matz a four-year deal ahead of the 2022 season, expecting him to be a lynchpin in their rotation. Unfortunately, things haven't gone to plan for Matz in St. Louis. He's missed time due to injury in each of his three seasons in St. Louis and has a 4.47 ERA in his Cardinals career. This past season saw him post a 5.08 ERA in 12 appearances (seven starts).

As disappointing as Matz's tenure in St. Louis has been, there's a reason that the Cardinals gave him the contract that they did in the first place. He, when healthy, is a solid back-end starter.

Matz's $12.5 million salary is very movable, especially if the Cardinals are willing to take on a small portion of it. Injury concerns are real, but he's a viable bounce-back candidate if he can find a way to stay healthy.

1. The Cardinals might not have a choice but to trade Erick Fedde

Sammon and Woo note that the Cardinals would like to hold onto Erick Fedde until the trade deadline, but if their primary goal is to save money, they might have to consider moving Fedde for the simple fact that he has value.

The right-hander is coming off an outstanding season which saw him post a 3.30 ERA in 31 starts and 177.1 innings of work split between the Chicago White Sox and the Cardinals. His numbers took a bit of a hit in St. Louis from where they were in Chicago, but he was still mostly serviceable.

What makes Fedde incredibly attractive is the fact that he's set to make just $7.5 million in 2025. That, for a solid mid-rotation arm, is peanuts relative to what starting pitchers make. Remember, this Cardinals organization gave both Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson eight figures on one-year deals last offseason coming off brutal 2023 campaigns.

Fedde can clear $7.5 million off their payroll while also getting the Cardinals a nice return, considering how cheap he is relative to pitchers of his ability. They might get a bit more holding on until the trade deadline when teams are more desperate, but if they can't find other ways to clear money, they might not have a choice with Fedde.