Before the 2025 season, the St. Louis Cardinals were the least active team in Major League Baseball, essentially making no new additions or signings, which may have set them back a few years. The Cardinals hung on for a while in the National League playoff picture, but are now several games below .500, and would need to make a miracle run into September if they wanted a chance.
The organization showed willingness to turn the page by trading Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton before the 2025 deadline. Now with Chaim Bloom taking the reins as the overseer of the Cardinals’ roster, it will be interesting to see what wholesale changes may be made this offseason.
Who Will the Cardinals Trade This Offseason?
The St. Louis Cardinals’ front office has several decisions to make this offseason regarding their tenured veterans, and whether or not to keep them or ship them off.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicts that the Cardinals will trade away a “conclave of veterans” and names Nolan Arenado, Wilson Contreras, and Sonny Gray as three options:
“The Cardinals are turning over a new leaf with their transition from John Mozeliak to Chaim Bloom calling the shots and they want to clear the deck and start over fresh with eyes on the future instead of these expensive relics from the past. Or, at any rate, they said almost a year ago that’s what they wanted to do, but all they’ve managed to accomplish thus far is unload some impending free agents ahead of the deadline.
“The complicating factor here is that all three of these players are in possession of full no-trade clauses. However, you would think they’d want to play for a team that actually intends on winning a title within the next two years, and perhaps a little sit down with this trio would grease the wheels on St. Louis’ quest to save over $100M.”
Which Player Will Teams Move First?
Wilson Contreras has the best stats of the three. He has 16 home runs in 115 games and has an OPS of .788. Nolan Arenado has had a down offensive year, and that’s now three in a row, so his value has plummeted in the trade market, especially considering his age.
Sonny Gray delivers solid value this season. He pitched 140.1 innings and posted a 4.30 ERA, with stretches where he dominated like a top-ten starter in baseball. Gray struck out 155 batters, showcasing his elite strikeout ability, and he leads MLB with a microscopic 1.5 BB/9. The only red flag: heâs allowing home runs at a pace that could set a career high.
Will Chaim Bloom make any moves this offseason? Only time will be able to tell that, but the St. Louis Cardinals may not be contenders if these three players are still on the team again next season. Miller from BR also mentioned that they all have no-trade clauses, which makes the speculation hinge on the players’ willingness to be traded.
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