The St. Louis Cardinals entered the season fully expecting to be in the MLB playoff picture this summer. Instead, MLB trade rumors suggest the Cardinals could be sellers for the first time in years.
St. Louis is typically a buyer at the MLB trade deadline. They’ve won 90-plus games in three of their last four seasons and haven’t had a losing record since 2007. However, the Cardinals pitching staff is heavily responsible for the team being near the bottom of the MLB standings in June.
- St. Louis Cardinals stats: 316 runs scored (13th), .248 batting average (16th), 4.44 ERA (20th), 17 quality starts (24th), 1.46 WHIP (27th)
While some have suggested Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado as MLB trade candidates this year, neither player is available. Instead, St. Louis could shop a few other players to address its problems this season and improve long-term.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared that if St. Louis sells, the likeliest trade candidates will be Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Tyler O’Neill.
Montgomery has been the Cardinals’ best starter this season and trading him would further deplete the rotation. However, the 30-year-old is a free agent this winter and St. Louis could believe now is the time to move him before he walks in free agency.
Flaherty, once one of the best pitchers in the National League, has never recaptured the form that made him an ace in 2019. Over the last two seasons, he carries a 4.51 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP across 109.2 innings pitched. An impending free agent, the Cardinals would be seeking to get anything back they can.
O’Neill is arbitration-eligible for the final time in 2024. However, the Cardinals have a glut of outfielders and O’Neill isn’t well-liked by manager Oliver Marmol. If the young outfielder is moved, it would be for starting pitching.
While St. Louis doesn’t want to be sellers at the trade deadline, it might be the only viable option this summer. When play began on Saturday, the Cardinals had the second-worst record in June (2-11) and were closing in on being 20 games below the .500 mark.
Related: MLB games today