The St. Louis Cardinals entered "sell" mode at the trade deadline, effectively punting on the 2025 campaign and setting up the future under soon-to-be new president Chaim Bloom. As the John Mozeliak era winds to a close, the Cards figure to go in a dramatically new direction. Bloom has a special knack for evaluating young talent and building a strong, sustainable pipeline. How effectively it all culminates at the big-league level is a more controversial debate topic.
We can expect the Cardinals to actively get younger in the years ahead. Bloom will want to reshape the roster in his image, which undoubtedly means significant trades and free agent dealings. Some Cardinals stars will stick around, while others feel destined to move on.
It's clear St. Louis will explore all options with its more senior contributors. Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray are out the door as soon as Bloom can manage it. That said, don't be shocked if Bloom looks to spin a few of the Cards' younger players into prospect capital as well.
Here are a couple members of the Cardinals core that Bloom is bound to keep around — and a couple who might end up on the chopping block.
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Chaim Bloom will build around RHP Michael McGreevy
If not much else, the Cardinals opened the door for Michael McGreevy to start every fifth game down the stretch of this season. The 25-year-old has experienced his share of turbulence so far — 5.06 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 39.0 innings pitched — but there's reason for sustained investment from the Cardinals front office. McGreevy is easily the most compelling long-term option of St. Louis' MLB rotation right now.
There are valid reasons for skepticism, primarily with McGreevy's extremely low punch-out rate, but he also exerts exceptional command over a deep six-pitch arsenal. McGreevy is in the 99th percentile for walk rate this season. And, despite working in the strike zone without elite swing-and-miss stuff, McGreevy tends to limit the severity of the contact made against him, in the 82nd percentile for barrel rate.
He won't even rack up K's, but McGreevy exhibits strong poise for his age, even when he's getting knocked around. His pitch variety helps him keep hitters off-balance, despite the absence of top-end velocity. And most importantly, McGreevy is under contract through 2030, giving him plenty of time to grow alongside the new Cardinals core, however it shapes up.
Cardinals will move on from LHP Matthew Liberatore
This probably won't happen immediately, but of St. Louis' young pitching staples, Matthew Liberatore feels like a more logical trade candidate. The talented southpaw is further ahead on the curve than McGreevy at a similar age. Liberatore and McGreevy also share notable parallels, as both are low-walk, low-strikeout arms with vast pitch arsenals and a tendency to sprinkle the outside of the zone with off-speed material.
Liberatore has been one of the few semi-dependable options in the Cardinals rotation this season, leading all starters with a 3.96 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 109.0 innings. He's under contract through 2029 and could very well factor into the Cardinals' long-term plans as a result.
That said, while Liberatore can get batters chipping at pitches outside the zone, he tends to allow more hard contact than McGreevy. The latter is still being molded, but McGreevy extends more on his pitches and throws better stuff. There is a distinct ceiling for a pitcher in Liberatore's vein, and while he's potentially a regular starter for the next decade, St. Louis might wise to cash in while his value is at a relative high, rather than waiting for MLB hitters to figure him out. Liberatore's command has greatly improved in 2025, but McGreevy's is a tier above and the hierarchy of St. Louis' rotation will soon shift accordingly.
Cardinals will build around SS Masyn Winn
Masyn Winn's second full MLB season has largely been a success for the Cardinals. There are fair concerns over his offensive profile, but Winn aptly tracks pitches through the zone and limits strikeouts. He won't dominate in the slugging department, but Winn can rack up singles, doubles and even triples while causing problems for the opposition with his speed on the base paths.
Winn sits at .270 with a .719 OPS in only his age-23 season. He remains well ahead of most infield prospects his age, with plenty of time to improve his swing and elevate more hits. In the meantime, he's a perfectly functional bat in the second half of St. Louis' lineup, with elite defense to really bring his contributions to the next level.
St. Louis' success this season has often been rooted in a stalwart defense. Winn leads the charge, in the 100th percentile with 19 outs above average at shortstop. That is the best mark in MLB for defensive range. Winn has a canon attached to his right shoulder, too, capable of delivering absolute bullets while moving full-speed away from his target.
The defense at a premium position alone makes Winn special. The potential for further offensive growth is why St. Louis would be foolish to cut bait so soon in his career.
Cardinals will move on from 2B Brendan Donovan
Brendan Donovan has been St. Louis' best player from the jump this season, earning his first All-Star berth at 28 years old. A lot of teams checked in on Donovan at the trade deadline, but the Cards were understandably reluctant to deal away a controllable star with Donovan's all-around skill set. That said, he's only under contract through 2027. Bloom's rebuild in St. Louis probably means the Cardinals won't be ready to compete until after Donovan's current contract expires.
If the timelines don't align, Donovan is a natural trade candidate. He's a former Gold Glove winner who is comfortable lining up all over the infield or outfield. His positional flexibility is a huge boon, made even more valuable by his unflappable approach at the plate. Donovan isn't an elite slugger, but he finds his way on base, working deep into counts and keeping strikeouts to a minimum.
The lefty has the sort of dependable skill set every contender wants and needs. Donovan would've made a lot of teams better at the deadline. Instead, it will fall to Bloom to pinpoint when, where and for whom Donovan is dealt. With a .279 average and .755 OPS, the metrics actually suggest that Donovan has been unlucky this season. His expected average sits at .293 — to go along with a surprisingly hearty .460 expected slugging, compared to his actual .405 rate.
He will never be the best player on a World Series contender, but the Cardinals won't struggle to find a team willing to give up way too much prospect capital to get Donovan in their clubhouse.