Another MLB insider hints Cardinals payroll could be a problem at the deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals are hovering around .500 and don't exactly have a clear direction at the moment. At 28-30, it's not clear whether they'll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

The Cardinals were nine games under .500 in May and ultimately got going again, even reaching .500 last week. But they have been unable to sustain any kind of run and are essentially stuck in the middle yet again.

The Wild Card race in the National League is weak, so there's a chance they could still make the postseason. But Jeff Passan of ESPN isn't convinced, and he noted the fact that attendance is down, which could cause them to reduce payroll and lead them to sell.

Cardinals' payroll could complicate trade deadline strategy

While fewer fans in the stands should force the Cardinals' hand to be more active and increase payroll, they seem to be ignoring that fact. A higher payroll would help get fans back in the stands at Busch Stadium.

Instead, despite having the necessary funds to make this happen, they might look to decrease payroll as a result. In that case, Passan notes that it would be hard for them to be buyers at the deadline.

The Cardinals might end up selling. And if they do, Passan listed players such as Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, and Paul Goldschmidt as pieces they could sell off. Goldschmidt does have a no-trade clause, but Passan predicted he could waive it if St. Louis starts to trade away players.

But lower revenues may ultimately force the Cardinals to sell if they're still hanging around .500 at the deadline as opposed to being back in the race.

The Cardinals currently only trail the Chicago Cubs in the race for the third and final National League Wild Card spot, so there is still a chance for them to make a run and turn things around. Helsley and Romero both have a few years of team control and could get the Cardinals a decent haul if they are traded.

Goldschmidt is in the final year of his deal and likely will not be back with the Cardinals in 2025, so it would also make sense to trade him while they can instead of lose him in free agency for nothing more than a compensation draft pick.

We'll see how things shake out between now and the deadline, but the Cardinals may end up being sellers again.