The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to listen to calls on just about every key player in the coming days. It's unclear how much business John Mozeliak can actually push across the finish line in his final season as team president, but the Cardinals are ready to punt on this season and look toward the future. Certainly that is an approach co-signed by Mozeliak's successor, Chaim Bloom.
We know the obvious trade candidates. Expiring relievers, such as Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton, are all on the chopping block. Same for aging starters like Miles Mikolas and even Sonny Gray, if the latter decides to forgo his no-trade clause. Nolan Arenado also has a no-trade clause, but St. Louis has been trying to deal him for a solid eight months now. If the right team on his wishlist comes knocking, it's sayonara.
Let's toss a wider net, though. Here are a few Cardinals players who aren't particularly involved in trade rumors, but who might end up on the chopping block anyway.
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3. RHP Riley O'Brien
After struggling to break through at the MLB level for going on four years now, Riley O'Brien has finally made it. He has arguably been St. Louis' most effective reliever since his season debut in late April. It's not the largest sample size, but O'Brien has a 1.75 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 25.2 innings across 21 appearances. He is not a shutdown closer type, but as a solid middle-relief arm who can provide length out of the bullpen, O'Brien ought to generate plenty of interest at the deadline.
Here's the rub: O'Brien doesn't even hit arbitration until 2027, so his contract is extremely affordable and comes with significant long-term control. That may be reason enough for the Cardinals to keep him around, but it's also worth testing the market, which is constantly starved for quality relievers.
O'Brien's statistical profile is glowing: He's throwing gas with a sinker in the upper-90s and prolifically generating soft, ground-ball contact. He gets plenty of swings-and-misses, too, with 28 strikeouts on the season. His lively stuff, spread across a potent three-pitch arsenal, is reason enough to believe this is sustainable. That might mean St. Louis decides to hold tight. But, O'Brien is also an inexperienced 30-year-old reliever, breaking through late in his career. Given his controllable contract, the Cards can probably extract real value for a player who, until a few months ago, never felt like a piece of significance in the organization.
2. OF Lars Nootbaar
The Cardinals are going to take calls on everyone, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. That means even Lars Nootbaar — a fan favorite under team control through 2027 — is on the table for the right price. This has been the worst season of Nootbaar's five-year career so far. He's sitting at a .712 OPS and 104 wRC+, the lowest since his rookie season.
Trading Nootbaar is not a priority. He still creates plenty of hard contact and plays his position well. But there is a strong marketplace for outfielders right now. Several contenders — San Diego, Philadelphia, even the Dodgers — all need reinforcements there. Most of them would prefer a sustainable pickup over an expensive half-season rental.
Nootbaar's solid hitting profile and controllable contract means the Cards can probably sell high and get a meaningful asset or two in return. He's only 27, but the best front offices know when to cut bait and maximize return value. The Cards aren't going to be World Series contenders within the next couple seasons, if I had to guess. Getting out from Nootbaar before his production fully plateaus — while also opening up more reps for up-and-coming outfielders — could benefit St. Louis.
1. 2B/OF Brendan Donovan
Donovan has been in his share of trade rumors, but each comes with the caveat of "he's hard to get" and "St. Louis probably says no." But smoke often leads to fire during MLB trade season and Donovan is the type of player every contender would like to add. He's a freshly minted All-Star who is under team control through 2027. He works long at-bats and he finds ways to get on base, keeping strikeouts to a minimum.
With St. Louis reshuffling the deck and in desperate need of more ammo in the farm system, trading Donovan for multiple top-10 prospects is not out of the question. A big enough haul should make the Cardinals' decision for them. Donovan is a tremendous talent, but there is a ceiling on players in his mold. He's a tremendous leadoff bat and a versatile option in the field for now, but the Cardinals (or Donovan's next team) will eventually need to contend with troubling defensive metrics and a distinct lack of power behind his swing.
With Mozeliak in his lame duck/retirement tour era, I would not be shocked if he goes for broke and really takes a few big swings at the deadline. Trading Donovan, the Cardinals' best player this season, would generate plenty of outrage in the fan base. But, when push comes to shove, you need to maintain the longest view in the room as a GM. We know Chaim Bloom does; maybe some of it rubs off on Mozeliak.