The St. Louis Cardinals may not be in fire sale mode ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, but all signs point to this organization starting to sell off some of their more expensive and accomplished veteran players in order to begin a bit of a retool in the coming years.
Executive John Mozeliak is retiring at the end of this season, handing control of the front office to former Red Sox head honcho Chaim Bloom. Before he does that, Mozeliak seemingly wants to give Bloom a clear direction this roster is headed in, and he has chosen the path of rebuilding as soon as possible.
The Cardinals have multiple bullpen pieces who could help contenders immediately, and those names are expected to garner a good deal of interest on the market. There are a few bats in this lineup that teams will ask about, and St. Louis might be willing to budge on some of them.
It might be a shock if these three Cardinals players are all on the team by the time the deadline elapses. The playoffs seem to be slipping further away from this team, which might be enough to prompt some trades in a wide open year where there is no ultra-dominant team at the top.
4 Cardinals entering their final week in St. Louis
4. RP Steven Matz
Now that his glory days as a starter with the Mets are well in the past, Matz has transitioned into an effective role as a left-handed reliever. 2025 has been his finest season with the Cardinals, amassing a 3.29 ERA, 127 ERA+, and 2.90 FIP. Matz could be on the move to a contender looking for more bullpen depth.
Matz's southpaw style and his penchant for being able to pitch multiple innings in relief should increase his value in the eyes of contenders around the league. St. Louis won't receive top prospects in any Matz trade, but they should be able to get a nice return if the reliever market isn't very fruitful.
3. SP Erick Fedde
After a terrible stint in Washington and a career resurgence in Korea, Fedde managed to latch on with the Chicago White Sox and perform so well that the Cardinals acquired him via trade. St. Louis went into the 2025 season expecting that Fedde would keep his high-performing style of play up, but he has regressed back into the same pitcher from his Nationals days.
Like many players on this roster, Fedde has not performed at a level that many would have expected of him. With an 86 ERA+ and his walks per nine innings rate nearly doubling from 2024 to 2025, Fedde is a damaged asset. Anyone who acquires him will need to be very confident in their pitching coach.
However, Fedde's time with the White Sox and his 2024 stint with St. Louis proves that there is a quality pitcher waiting to be brought back from the deal. Even if this compromised state, a contender with a history of turning pitchers around might surrender a highly-regarded prospect to bring Fedde to town.
2. CP Ryan Helsley
Helsley is not just a bullpen depth piece, as the flamethrowing closer is only worth acquriing if you need a lockdown bulldog for the ninth inning. Consider that Helsley's era is slightly over 3.00 (while still striking out more than one batter per inning), and this is his worst season in four years.
Since 2022, Helsley's 2.05 ERA and 202 ERA+ make him one of the best relievers in the game. Helsley could command a few top prospects if the right team pursues him, as the velocity and experience in closing out games should be held in very high regard across the league.
Reports exist that suggest the Cardinals are genuinely undecided on trading Helsley, though they could tilt more towards getting rid of him if they are unwilling to hand him another big multi-year contract. Multiple contenders are showing interest, and that fastball velocity should help him succeed in any ballpark.
1. 3B Nolan Arenado
While Paul Goldschmidt has been able to bounce back from a down 2024 season by raking with the Yankees, Arenado's 92 OPS+ could be a sign that the Hall of Fame-level bat from his Rockies prime and early St. Louis days is a thing of the past. However, he might just need a change of scenery.
The defense is still there, and the same scenery change that helped Goldschmidt hit well over .300 for most of the first half could benefit Arenado. The Cardinals won't give him away for free, but they will likely be perusing the market with great interest if they have their mind made up on rebuilding.