Cardinals Rumors: STL 'Still Open for Business' Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals committed to selling at the deadline, and it seems likely they will stick to it.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote about the state of the Cardinals, who are 7-3 in their last 10 games and appear to be trending upward, and expressed confidence that the team still wants to maximize on the value that several of their players have.

"The Cardinals, no matter how much the fan base may scream, or their players complain, are still open for business and trading away assets that don't figure to be around next season," Nightengale wrote. 'So, starters Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, each who are eligible for free agency in November, could be gone. Closer Jordan Hicks and perhaps injured reliever Ryan Helsley. Infielders Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong could be gone too. And outfielders Dylan Carlson and Tyler O'Neill better not send out their laundry, either."

St. Louis, despite the recent solid play, still are several games behind .500 with a 44-55 record and are in fourth place in the NL Central. The Cardinals are 11 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers and are 9.5 games out of the 3rd NL Wild Card spot.

While the record and distance from a playoff spot make selling at the deadline look like the logical choice, the Cardinals history make that choice notable. The team has not gone below .500 since the 2007 season and made the playoffs in the four seasons preceding 2023.

The team also signed Willson Contreras in free agency, which is a splash they don't normally make, and have 2022 MVP Paul Goldschmidt and eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado on the roster. Nightengale noted that those two are not on the table in any trade talks and that the team will hope to reset with them in 2024.