One week to go: What might the St. Louis Cardinals do at the trade deadline?

ST. LOUIS – Major League Baseball’s annual trade deadline is just one week away, and the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in a familiar, yet complicated, crossroads.

In recent years, the Cardinals have typically positioned themselves for calculated low-risk moves, not necessarily major blockbusters, at this time of year. That may still be the case this season, though the team’s recent nosedive could force some tougher decisions.

In late June, the Cardinals reached a season-best nine games above .500 after a sweep of the Cleveland Guardians, then improving to 47-38. That could have been a turning point to put the team firmly into contention this year, but instead, things have unraveled.

Since that sweep, the Cardinals are 5-13 and sit only one game above .500 heading into Thursday, dropping five of their first six games out of All-Star break. They have slipped to 3.5 games back of a NL Wild Card spot and 9.5 games back of the NL Central division lead.

Now firmly in the middle of the pack, the Cardinals sit in a precarious place as the summer grind wears on, and it may cause them to shift their approach. Right now, it seems the Cardinals may already be looking ahead to moves that set the team up for next year, not necessarily waving the white flag on this season, but perhaps not making big-time moves that scream “playoffs” this year.

With that in mind, signs point toward a soft sell strategy at the deadline, primarily by moving players the Cardinals could lose to free agency at the season’s end, but otherwise keeping the core roster largely intact.

If that’s the approach, a small handful of names stand out. Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz could all be trade candidates for contenders seeking bullpen help.

To some extent, the Cardinals have tried to take action as a soft seller by designating pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment. Acquired in last year’s trade deadline for Tommy Edman, Fedde has largely struggled this season with a 3-10 record and a 5.22 ERA. The DFA move removes him from the 40-man roster and potentially opens the door for a trade, waivers or outright release.

That situation may look a little different compared to the one of another struggling Cardinals starting pitcher, Miles Mikolas, also a pending free agent at the season’s end. Mikolas is 5-7 with a 5.20 ERA and he also carries a full no-trade clause. Because of that, he can veto any trade the Cardinals attempt to make involving him, which likely limits trade possibilities unless there is a contender who needs an extra arm down the stretch and Mikolas sees a mutual need.

Even beyond these names, pitching remains and area in need of longer-term improvement for the Cardinals. They rank in the middle of the pack with 38 quality starts and their 4.21 ERA is among the league’s bottom 10, plagued by inconsistency from both starters and bullpen pieces. If the Cardinals move a pitcher, they may look to acquire another in return to give the staff a fresh look.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals have no pending unrestricted free agents who are hitters, making deadline decisions on that front murkier.

One big question mark that remains is Nolan Arenado. The veteran third baseman, who holds a full no-trade clause, was the subject of offseason trade talks as the Cardinals initially sought a youth-driven roster reset. A deal never fully materialized, and Arenado reportedly block one that would have sent him to the Houston Astros by extending his no-trade clause.

Though no renewed trade talks involving Arenado are publicly known at this stage, Arenado’s situation is one to monitor. Earlier this week, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak reportedly met with Arenado to discuss possibilities over his future with the team.

Regardless of Arenado’s case, the Cardinals also have a few big-league log jams that could be addressed come trade deadline, but it’s uncertain to what extent that could happen.

The Cardinals currently carry three primary catcher on their roster – Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo – as catching prospects Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal continue to progress in the minors.

While the Cardinals may not aggressively look to trade one of their current big-league catcher or prospects, it wouldn’t be overly surprising if one of these names were dealt as a complimentary trade piece to bolster pitching depth.

Elsewhere, for what it’s worth, logjams at both infield and outfield spots have limited opportunities, at times, for young players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar. All three are under team control for several more years, and historically, the Cardinals have prioritized retaining controllable talent.

However, if an unprecedented offer comes along for Walker, Gorman or Nootbaar, particularly for young pitchers or hitters with unique skillsets or high potential, the from office may be tempted to explore a deal. It’s far from certain and not on par with recent trade deadlines, but a shocking move of this nature is not necessarily out of question.

One important consideration for this trade deadline: It’s the last one with John Mozeliak serving as the Cardinals’ lead decision-maker. Mozeliak is set to step down at the end of the season with former Rays and Red Sox baseball Chaim Bloom taking over as President of Baseball Operations after that.

According to Katie Woo, Cardinals insider for The Athletic, Bloom will be available for consultation this trade deadline, but Mozeliak will have the final say in trade decisions this deadline.

All things considered, the Cardinals could look anywhere from almost unchanged or meaningfully younger next week. Tight postseason races across both leagues and a limited pool of clear sellers raise the stakes for the Cardinals to get this deadline right.

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, July 31. It’s the final chance for all 30 teams to trade major-league players this season.

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One week to go: What might the St. Louis Cardinals do at the trade deadline?

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