The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly been shopping veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado this winter and it makes quite a bit of sense. The Cardinals are clearly attempting to rebuild beginning this summer as they’ve already cut connections with multiple veterans heading into 2025. Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Paul Goldschmidt have all been released to pursue other options.
Arenado is also bound by a huge deal, which the Cardinals are unlikely to pay. However, given the terms of his contract and his no-trade provision, St. Louis has unable to move him.
Arenado reportedly agreed to a trade with six teams: the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Angels, and San Diego Padres. The Phillies, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, and Padres already have outstanding third basemen on their rosters. The Angels appear like a long shot.
As things stand, the Cardinals will be compelled to keep Arenado, but they may still attempt to minimize costs by selling or releasing other players. Who could the Cardinals break connections with when recent reports indicate Arenado will remain with the team?
3. RHP Erick Fedde
There isn’t a veteran on the St. Louis roster who can be considered safe. The Cardinals do not appear to be rebuilding slowly. Rather, it appears that they are going all in on rebuilding, which may involve moving starting pitcher Erick Fedde. Fedde was acquired in a massive three-team trade at the MLB Trade Deadline in 2024.
Fedde, 31, is expected to earn $7.5 million in 2025, which is a bargain for a pitcher of his caliber. However, the Cardinals don’t require senior pitchers on their major league roster at this time. They need as much young talent as possible, and Fedde would probably earn a nice return.
In exchange for Fedde, the Cardinals would save roughly $10 million on their payroll while receiving a solid return of prospects. If St. Louis does not sell him before the season begins, he is almost certain to be traded before the trade deadline. It doesn’t make sense for the Cardinals to risk injury or a slow start to the 2025 season. Trading him right now makes the most sense.
2. RHP Miles Mikolas
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If the Cardinals want to decrease payroll costs, they must part ways with their experienced pitching staff. Last season, St. Louis’ pitching staff was led by many 30-plus year-old righties. Several of those pitchers have left, but Fedde, Sonny Gray, and Miles Mikolas have returned. These three are not only taking up rotation positions, but they are also consuming a significant portion of the Cardinals’ payroll.
St. Louis has several top prospects who could all slot into the starting rotation to begin the 2025 season. Tink Hence is regarded as one of the game’s top pitching prospects, and he appears to be prepared to make his major league debut. But it’s tough for him to crack the rotation while a starter like Mikolas takes a position.
Mikolas is also expected to make over $20 million this season. He’s the most obvious possibility to be released by the Cardinals, owing to the fact that no team will likely trade for him until St. Louis absorbs nearly his entire salary. In any case, the Cardinals should find a means to remove him from the roster as quickly as possible.
1. RHP Ryan Helsley
When looking at the Cardinals roster, one player stands out like a sore thumb as a contender for the organization to trade before the 2025 season. Ryan Helsley serves as the closer.
Helsley is one of the top closers in the league. He led the league in saves last season despite playing for a below-average St. Louis side. The Cardinals have only become worse since the 2024 season finished and the 2025 season appears to begin, so keeping a star closer on an expiring contract makes little sense.
The Cardinals may certainly land a good haul in trade for their flame-throwing star. Teams like the Boston Red Sox would be in the market to bring in a closer with the ceiling that Helsley has. Boston also has a lot of prospect capital to move in a potential deal, so even if they miss out on Arenado, they may still get in on Helsley.
St. Louis might potentially save a few million dollars by selling Helsley. It would be a victory all around for the front office.
