The Cardinals might be very busy at the deadline.
The St. Louis Cardinals started the second half of 2025 with a clunker, falling 7-3 at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are now 7 1/2 games back in the National League Central.
They haven't decided which direction they're going to take at the trade deadline. They are mathematically close in the Wild Card race, but are unlikely to go deep in the postseason if they manage to make it.
St. Louis has plenty of players on expiring contracts that teams will show interest in, including Phil Maton, Steven Matz and All-Star closer Ryan Helsley.
John Denton of MLB.com recently predicted that if the Cardinals can't turn things around, they will sell off their expiring contracts.
"Get beaten up and the Cards could gut their roster over the final days of July. Relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz are the players most likely to be traded because of their expiring contracts and MLB’s dearth of quality relievers," Denton wrote.
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The Cardinals don't have much depth in their farm system. It is also clear that the team will be unable to compete with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
And so, it makes sense to trade any expiring contracts and find a way to bolster their farm system for the future. They are especially short on pitching depth.
This could also clear the way for other young players to take spots on the big-league roster. They would benefit from having Michael McGreevy in the starting rotation instead of Erick Fedde, another player on an expiring contract.
They could potentially buy or mix buying and selling, but unless they turn their season around, they seem like a strong candidate to punt on 2025 and focus on the future.
More MLB: Cardinals predicted to hold on to All-Star trade candidate
Category: Baseball
