3 more John Mozeliak mistakes the Cardinals should cut bait with

In an unexpected yet all too predictable move, the St. Louis Cardinals officially DFA'd Erick Fedde on Wednesday. The 32-year-old has been in trade rumors for months, but his inability to perform tanked what was left of his value. After Fedde gave up seven hits and six runs in three innings against the lowly Colorado Rockies the night before, giving him a 5.22 ERA through 20 starts this season, the Cardinals finally pulled the plug.

With this move, St. Louis has DFA'd all three of John Mozeliak's "win-now" additions at the 2024 trade deadline.

The Cardinals aren't done, either. It's becoming increasingly clear that St. Louis will use the next week to sell off expiring contracts and reset the table for next season, when Chaim Bloom takes over the front office. St. Louis isn't completely out of the Wild Card picture, but it's hard to view this roster as anything more than a sinking ship.

Here are a few more Mozeliak mistakes who could join Fedde as non-Cardinals before the trade deadline on July 31.

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3. SP Miles Mikolas

Miles Mikolas has reached the end of his three-year, $55.8 million contract in St. Louis. Right now, it seems like he will finish out the campaign with the team, but only because no one will trade for him. The Cardinals would be smart to show him the door, Fedde style, if nothing materializes over the next week. It's time to give the youngsters like Gordon Graceffo and Michael McGreevy a try on the mound.

Mikolas has been even worse than Fedde this season, boasting a 5.20 ERA and 1.29 WHIP through 19 starts. Here is one of the ugliest pitches you will ever see in a competitive MLB game.

Mikolas, a two-time All-Star, has spent seven of his 10 MLB seasons in a Cardinals uniform. He's just a familiar face at this point. While he put together some impressive campaigns at Busch Stadium and earned his share of salary, his latest contract has turned into a sunk cost. One of Mozeliak's greatest weaknesses, at least in these later years, has been his inability to know when to jump ship. He holds on for too long.

He has a lot of pitches in his toolbox, but Mikolas is getting knocked around and there's not much reason to suspect improvement in the coming months. St. Louis should bid adieu.

2. 3B Nolan Arenado

When Nolan Arenado inked his eight-year, $260 million contract ahead of the 2021 campaign, it felt like a no-brainer. Arenado was a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate in Colorado, a trend that carried over into his first few years as a Cardinal. He made three straight All-Star appearances upon arrival in St. Louis and finished third in NL MVP voting back in 2022. So calling this a "mistake" feels a bit harsh.

And yet, what did that all lead to? Well, the Cards never won much of anything and now Arenado is on the decline with two more (expensive) years left on his contract. He also has a no-trade clause, which makes it difficult to move on. The Cardinals almost found a taker last offseason, only for Arenado to opt out of the trade at the last second.

Mozeliak is expected to check back in with Arenado ahead of the deadline. If he's willing to join a contender, the Cardinals should leap at the opportunity — even if it requires paying down the majority of his salary. Arenado is still an excellent defender at the hot corner, but the power has left his swing and he's sitting at a career-low .686 OPS for the season. It's time to get out from under him and build around youth in the infield.

1. SP Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray inked a three-year, $75 million contract with St. Louis ahead of the 2024 campaign. He was coming off a second-place finish in Cy Young voting with the Minnesota Twins, so again — it made sense at the time. Still, the risk was right there on the surface. Gray, now 35, is well past his prime years. He was only the latest example of St. Louis pouring resources into an aging rotation, rather than finding sustainable young arms to build around.

Gray made the All-Star team last season and looked mostly like himself, but it has been much tougher sledding in 2025. His ERA is up to 4.04 with a 1.15 WHIP in 20 starts. Gray is still perfectly adequate, even a little bit above average, but he's an aging pitcher trending in the wrong direction, with an exorbitant $35 million paycheck due next season (and a $30 million club option for 2027).

As St. Louis tries to reorient toward the future, Gray feels like dead weight. He's good enough to garner trade offers, but he has a no-trade clause, which could complicate the matter. That said, if the Cards can find a contender willing to absorb Gray's contract — and he's willing to go there — Mozeliak ought to pull the plug.