The Cardinals are Sellers
Courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are officially sellers. In an interview with FOX, the Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak, stated that the Cardinals are planning on trading people, but they are not ‘waving the white flag’ on the 2023 season. Sitting in last place, 11.5 games out of first place and 11 games out of a wildcard position at 38-52, the fact that the Cardinals are selling is not necessarily surprising, but it is strange to hear.
The Cardinals have been a winning organization for the past 16 years. 2007 was the last time they had a losing record and the last time they finished last in their division was 1990. The Cardinals are known for their organizational strength and winning, so seeing them flounder as a team this season is shocking, especially given the fact that they still have fantastic players, such as reigning National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt, and having the same team that finished on top of the division with 93 wins just last season.
The interesting thing about the Cardinals selling is who will be sold. Mozeliak said that nobody is completely off the table, meaning that both their core players, such as Goldschmidt or Nolan Arenado, are at least not out of the question, along with players whose contract will be through in the offseason, such as Jordan Montgomery or Jack Flaherty. While it is unlikely that either Goldschmidt or Arenado gets traded, even the possibility of that being opened by Mozeliak is worth noting, especially as the team plans to look ahead to the 2024 season.
The Cardinals selling likely means they will be getting rid of most of the players on the 26-man roster. They have an influx of outfielders and most of their starting pitching will be gone at the end of the season, so this gives them an opportunity to get something for these players. Realistically speaking, this could mean as many as 5 players being traded from the 26-man roster, prospects, or even on the injured list, as part of a package deal. The team that has been one of the strongest organizations historically has a lot of things to be thinking about as the deadline looms in the coming weeks, with their selling position, which they haven’t been in for a really long time.
