3 Cardinals players who will be traded by the deadline and where

The St. Louis Cardinals enter play on Friday with a record of 29-32. They sit in fourth place in the NL Central, 6.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. They have a better shot in the Wild Card race, as they sit just a half-game back of the San Diego Padres.

However, it doesn't look like St. Louis will be a true contender this year, which means it might be time to sell again at the deadline. Players such as Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras likely aren't going anywhere, but others might.

Here are three Cardinals that could be traded and where they may end up.

Nolan Arenado to the Yankees

This possibility was mentioned on Wednesday by former MLB star Eric Hosmer on FanDuel.

At the time, the Cardinals had +3500 odds on FanDuel to win the National League pennant, which obviously means the chances are quite low, especially compared to teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves.

"You look at St. Louis with that +3500, if they lose a couple of games here before the deadline, the Yankees need a third baseman," Hosmer said. "That would be very interesting to see if something would shake out of that."

This would be a very interesting scenario. Given Arenado's struggles, the Cardinals likely wouldn't be able to get a massive haul for him, but they could land some pitching prospects that are close to being Major League ready.

It could also be something as simple as a swap. Maybe the Cardinals would try for Oswaldo Cabrera or D.J. LeMahieu. But New York needs production out of the third base position, and if acquired Arenado could give them that.

Arenado would also have the opportunity to play for a winner as opposed to playing for a team that is stuck in the middle like the Cardinals.

Paul Goldschmidt to the Mariners

While the Mariners already have Ty France as their first baseman, they still do need some extra offensive production, and they could trade from their stash of starting pitchers to give St. Louis what they need if they deal Goldschmidt.

The former MVP is in the final year of his deal with the Cardinals and will be a free agent after the season is over. Chances are good that he will not be back with the Cardinals in 2025.

Seattle could send St. Louis somebody like Bryce Miller, Emerson Hancock, or even Bryan Woo to bolster their rotation.

Goldschmidt got off to a bad start but appears to be finding his groove again at the plate, which could make him an attractive trade piece should the Cardinals decide to sell. He would bring veteran leadership to a young Mariners team that is trying to make a run as well.

The Cardinals acquired Goldschmidt prior to the 2019 season in hopes of building a championship contender. However, they have only won one playoff series since bringing him in and haven't even won a playoff game since they traded for Arenado.

Ryan Helsley to the Giants

If there is a team that could give the Cardinals some solid prospects for Ryan Helsley, the San Francisco Giants could be that team. They have left-hander Kyle Harrison, who could bolster the St. Louis rotation in the event that they trade veterans Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.

Helsley would also give the Giants a solid one-two punch at the back end of their bullpen along with current closer Camilo Doval. The two could split closer duties and give the Giants a chance to be a serious contender in the National League.

Helsley is having perhaps the best season of his career. He leads all of baseball with 20 saves in 21 opportunities. He also owns an ERA of 2.33 in his 27 appearances.

His fastball can touch 100 mph, which should make him an interesting trade target for teams that are trying to contend and have their sights set on the postseason. He is also the piece that will likely get the Cardinals the biggest haul possible if they try to have a quick reset and bounce back into contention in 2025.

Right now, St. Louis is trending towards back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1994-95.