The St. Louis Cardinals didn't exactly rock the boat at the MLB trade deadline. John Mozeliak did the bare minimum. He dealt the Cards' expiring relievers, Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton, but he did not clear out any long-term salary or execute anything close to a blockbuster. All the expensive vets — Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado — are still around.
While that's not necessarily shocking, it's worth taking stock of where St. Louis is organizationally. Chaim Bloom is slated to take over the front office next season upon Mozeliak's retirement. The Cards did not acquire any MLB-ready talent at the deadline. While it was not a complete blow-up, St. Louis certainly did not endeavor to improve its roster. The postseason is simply not a priority right now.
It's clear that Bloom will get a chance to clean house and mold the franchise in his image. That could mean fireworks as soon as this winter. While the following veterans may have survived the deadline, it's clear they won't last long under Bloom's regime.
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OF Lars Nootbaar
Under contract through 2027, trading Lars Nootbaar was never the "expected" move. And yet, with St. Louis reportedly taking calls on everyone and a strong market for controllable outfielders taking shape — especially after the White Sox pulled Luis Robert Jr. from negotiations — one has to imagine Nootbaar could've landed the Cardinals a nice return package.
Instead, he will enter the 2026 campaign with two years left on his contract, still in the prime of his career. This has not been Nootbaar's most productive season at the plate, but he's a talented all-around player — an above-average glove in the outfield with a penchant for hard contact to multiple areas of the field. Still under arbitration, he's not a financial burden either.
The Cardinals roster, in the direction it's heading under Mozeliak and then under Bloom, will not reach its competitive apex before Nootbaar's contract expires. As such, expect St. Louis to reengage potentially interested teams next offseason as a whole new spate of outfield needs arise leaguewide.
3B Nolan Arenado
The Cardinals tried trading Nolan Arenado last offseason. They tried again at the deadline, albeit with zero tangible momentum. His contract (and his no-trade clause) makes things extremely difficult, as does his apparent contentedness in St. Louis baseball purgatory.
This season has been a struggle for Arenado offensively, which continues a worrying trend that certainly does not boost his value. And yet, he's still a well-respected veteran with an elite glove at third base and strong plate discipline. The shorter the remainder of his contract gets, the easier it will be for St. Louis to find a suitor and pay down some of the money.
We can expect Arenado's name to once again feature prominently in offseason trade rumors. There's also reason to believe Bloom might be a bit less unyielding than Mozeliak, as there is value in simply getting off of his contract (as much of it as they possibly can, at least) and promoting internal growth, rather than sinking alongside Arenado.
RHP Sonny Gray
Sonny Gray becomes an expiring contract in 2026. He, too, has a no-trade clause, which complicates things a bit, but the Cardinals are trending away from contention. Gray is entering his mid-30s, and while this may not be the twilight of his career, the sun is certainly beginning to dip toward the horizon. He ought to appreciate the chance to join a contender if the Cards can find him an amicable landing spot.
This has been Gray's worst season in a hot minute. The 2023 AL Cy Young runner-up is still far and away the best arm in St. Louis' stable, but he's beginning to miss fewer bats and allow more hard contact. This stuff happens with age. Maybe he can bounce back next season, especially if he's in a better spot, but the Cards would be wise to get off of Gray with a full year left on his deal, rather than letting him tank his value any further before the 2026 trade deadline.
All this hinges on Gray wanting to leave and essentially hand-picking his destination, but if Bloom can convey the direction of the organization with clarity, it's tough to imagine Gray sticking around for another year of noncompetitive baseball.
2B Brendan Donovan
Brendan Donovan made the All-Star team this season and has been St. Louis' best player by a comfortable margin. He's 27 years old and under contract through 2027, with a skill set every team values, so the Cardinals not trading him was hardly a shock. And yet, we know multiple contenders checked in and St. Louis at least picked up the phone, so the clock is finally ticking.
Like everyone else on this list, Donovan will come to the realization sooner than later that this team is not designed to win during the duration of his current contract. He might be the sort of player St. Louis decides to extend and keep around, but Bloom feels like the GM who will recognize the opportunity to sell high. Donovan doesn't hit for much power and his defensive impact is muted, even though he can line up all over the diamond. Cashing in before his offensive metrics crumble might be the way to go.
This would constitute a drastic organizational shift — Donovan is beloved by fans and coaches and teammates alike — but St. Louis is another to move in a bold new direction under Bloom. That's the hope at least. Donovan is the most valuable trade asset on the roster and he will probably end up on the move eventually as a result.