The Cardinals’ offseason has been outlined by their makes an attempt to commerce third baseman Nolan Arenado. The membership allowed key gamers like Paul Goldschmidt, Kyle Gibson, and Andrew Kittredge to go into free company this winter and did nothing to switch them as they centered on slicing payroll and beginning a youth motion on the main league degree. The membership seemingly wished to pair that with trades of a few of its most costly veteran gamers, however Sonny Grey and Willson Contreras each shortly made it clear that they weren’t taken with waiving their no-trade clauses.
That left Arenado as essentially the most outstanding commerce candidate on the roster, however the third baseman vetoed a commerce to the Astros on the eleventh hour again in December and his market started to dry up quickly after that. The ultimate nail within the coffin gave the impression to be the Pink Sox, Arenado’s final severe recognized suitor, signing Alex Bregman to spherical out their infield combine. Now, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak admitting it’s probably Arenado stays in St. Louis to start out the season, the Cardinals are poised to enter 2025 with essentially the most notable change as in comparison with final yr’s workforce being an absence of Goldschmidt at first base.
There’s a technique the Cardinals might inject some extra youth into the roster and create area within the payroll: buying and selling from the rotation. Each Grey and veteran righty Miles Mikolas have no-trade clauses and seem unlikely to waive them, however veteran starters Erick Fedde and Steven Matz are each pending free brokers who lack no-trade safety. Each gamers reportedly acquired curiosity from rival golf equipment earlier this offseason, and whereas the Cardinals on the time appeared centered on dealing Arenado reasonably than from the rotation, the unlikelihood of an Arenado commerce might change that calculus.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored for Entrance Workplace subscribers earlier this week, there are a variety of groups across the league that might nonetheless use beginning pitching assist. Fedde specifically might probably carry again an attractive return as a comparatively reasonably priced rental starter who posted a 3.30 ERA and three.86 FIP in 31 begins final yr. The proper-hander will make simply $7.5MM in 2025, a sum that just about any workforce might afford even throughout this late stage of the offseason. Matz is much less more likely to carry again vital expertise in return given his up-and-down trajectory through the years, however shedding a few of his $12MM wage for 2025 would permit the Cardinals so as to add a veteran reliever to arrange for nearer Ryan Helsley and even tackle a bit extra money to try to facilitate the Arenado take care of a cash-strapped membership just like the Yankees. (The Cardinals’ reluctance with regard to buying and selling Helsley, additionally an impending free agent, is one other curious resolution, as highlighted by MLBTR’s Anthony Franco final month.)
Along with the prospects and/or wage reduction buying and selling a veteran starter might internet, the Cardinals would additionally extra clearly make means for his or her younger arms to get work on the massive league degree. High prospect Tink Therefore has but to make his Triple-A debut however dominated Double-A final yr and must be on the massive league radar later this yr. Within the meantime, Michael McGreevy is already knocking on the door of the majors after posting a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings as a starter for the membership final yr. Sem Robberse, Quinn Mathews and Tekoah Roby are among the many potential beginning choices the Cardinals have at their disposal that don’t at present have a path to main league begins.
Alternatively, none of these choices has confirmed himself within the majors. With Arenado now seemingly unlikely to maneuver, the Cardinals might really feel they’re higher off attempting to contend this yr, not less than within the first half after they nonetheless have the chance to pivot again in direction of promoting on the commerce deadline. In any case, the Cardinals gained 83 video games final yr regardless of their flawed roster, and a wholesome season from Contreras, higher batted ball luck from Grey, and a resurgence from Arenado might permit them to contend in an NL Central division that also seems to be comparatively delicate even after groups just like the Cubs and Reds have made notable strikes.
It’s additionally value noting that, even with out buying and selling Arenado or a starter, the membership has made not less than some room for a professional youth motion to happen. Kicking Willson Contreras over to first base has opened up the catcher place for kids Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages, whereas the departures of Gibson and Lance Lynn from the rotation have opened up a spot for Andre Pallante after he impressed in a rotation function final yr. Different gamers like Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker determine to get extra constant enjoying time in 2025, and all it takes is an damage or two to get gamers like Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II extra common enjoying time within the majors as effectively.
With Opening Day simply six weeks away, how do MLBTR readers assume the Cardinals ought to proceed? Ought to they double down on their youth motion and deal a starter like Fedde or Matz to salvage their offseason of inaction, or ought to they maintain onto their veteran rotation items via the early days of the season in hopes that inside enhancements might make them a professional contender? Have your say within the ballot under:
