The St. Louis Cardinals are in a weird position right now. They came into the season and all signs seemed to point toward them blowing up the roster and rebuilding. They had let a lot of veterans walk in free agency before opting out of signing any of the big names on the market.
St. Louis was also reportedly looking to trade a few of their star players, most notably infielder Nolan Arenado and pitcher Sonny Gray. At the end of the day, the two veterans have no-trade clauses on their contracts, so if they don't want to be moved, they won't be. This turned out to be the case.
But the Cardinals began winning games quite quickly this season due to their roster which is loaded with young talent. They've found themselves in the middle of a competitive division race which could turn them into buyers at the trade deadline.
If the Cardinals are going to buy, they might end up using some of their big-league players to acquire controllable big-league talent. There are a few contributing players the Cardinals could use to bring in win-now players.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Cardinals trade chip 1: RHP Ryan Helsley
The most obvious player the Cardinals could and should trade this season is closer Ryan Helsley. First of all, Helsley is on an expiring contract and the Cardinals are unlikely to pay him at the end of the season.
Last season, relievers were the most sought after position at the trade deadline and it led to a lot of teams overpaying for big name relievers. This season, the Cardinals could capitalize on that by trading Helsley to a contender like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves.
In doing so, the Cardinals could land a loaded prospect haul, but they could also bring in a guy like Bobby Miller, James Outman or Bryce Elder. Players like this could help the Cardinals right now while also being a very important and controllable piece of the future.
Using Helsley's value and the market working in their favor, the Cardinals could make a trade that sets them up for a lot of success in the future while also keeping them competitive right now.
Cardinals trade chip 2: INF Thomas Saggese
The Cardinals have seen a lot of success in their infield this season. Willson Contreras and Masyn Winn both look like long term solutions at first base and shortstop, respectively. Nolan Arenado has been a tremendous defensive third baseman while being locked in the lineup for the next few years due to his contract. Brendan Donovan is a utility man, but he has been excellent at second base.
The future of second base in St. Louis is the team's top prospect JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt is smashing Double-A pitching this season and could eventually make his way to Triple-A over the next few weeks.
This puts prospect Thomas Saggese in a tough spot for the Cardinals. Saggese was excellent when he got the opportunity to play in the big leagues, but it doesn't seem like he'll have that chance again unless there are injuries or Arenado is traded.
Where does that leave him? Likely on the trade block.
Trading Saggese would be a huge move for the Cardinals to make. He looks like a star and there's a chance he develops into one. But the Cardinals could look to trade him to a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees to bring in other players at a position of need. It's the kind of deal that could work for two contending teams.
Cardinals trade chip 3: RHP Erick Fedde
Starting pitcher Erick Fedde is in a very similar boat to Helsley, but he holds a lot less value. Fedde's contract ends at the conclusion of the season and it's unlikely the Cardinals will re-sign him in the offseason. Instead, St. Louis could capitalize on his stretch of hot starts to land a solid return for the expiring pitcher.
In his place, the Cardinals could look to call up a prospect like Quinn Mathews or Tink Hence when they're fully healthy and back in the swing of things. They could also call up Michael McGreevy to fill a hole left by a trade of Fedde.
Either way, St. Louis could land a few key prospects in exchange for Fedde, especially because there are a lot of teams looking for a starting pitcher. In the end, the team might get better right now by trading Fedde and replacing him with a prospect, but they'll definitely get better for the future. The return of prospects, even if it's two or three mid level guys, would provide good depth and upside for the Cardinals' farm system.