Potential Cardinals trade should be the final straw for John Mozeliak

The St. Louis Cardinals are stuck in baseball limbo. Are they buyers or are they sellers? St. Louis is middle of the pack -- a solid seven-plus games back in the NL Central and behind the Wild Card pace as well. An argument could be made that trading away certain players, specifically rentals, in hopes of acquiring young pieces in return is in their best interest.

Contending should always be the Cardinals intention, though. John Mozeliak and the St. Louis front office has tried and failed to turn this team into a contender the past two years. Their managerial hire has not been a good one in Oli Marmol, yet they signed him to a contract extension. Key additions all over the ball-club haven't made much of a difference in the standings.

Just a few days ago, Mozeliak tipped his hand as to the Cardinals likely trade deadline plans. In doing so, Mozeliak gave potential sellers an early notice as to what the Cardinals need to acquire prior to late July. Specifically, a fifth starter and right-handed center fielder are at the top of St. Louis's list.

St. Louis Cardinals trade deadline could be the end for John Mozeliak

These are moderate and attainable additions, and most importantly, it looks like the Cardinals are buying. Mozeliak and his staff cannot afford to sell, this of all years, to avoid the hot seat this winter. That's why Jim Bowden of The Athletic's prognosis is all the more concerning.

Bowden linked outfielder/second baseman Brendan Donovan to three teams -- the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres. I have a few issues here. First, Donovan isn't a free agent until 2028. The Cardinals should not trade away a considerable asset who is under contract for three more years, especially if they are trying to contend in the near future.

Second, both the Rangers and Phillies have similar postseason hopes to the Cards. While Texas won the World Series last season, they have a worse record than St. Louis at 32-35. The Padres, a marginally better 37-35, certainly have a need for Donovan but possess similar postseason odds to the Cardinals.

Now, these are merely predictions, some loosely based on what Bowden, a former GM himself, has heard around baseball. If a trade of Donovan comes to fruition, it will go against everything Mozeliak has forecasted the past year-plus, and should lead to his undoing.