Cardinals Rumors: Jordan Hicks to Be Traded If New Contract Not Finalized by Deadline

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks is a major candidate to receive a contract extension imminently. If the two sides can't come to an agreement, however, he may have a new home shortly given his pending free agency this winter.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, "the belief is that an extension could be finalized within the next day. If a deal cannot be reached, the Cardinals would almost certainly trade Hicks by the deadline."

If he does became available, contenders across baseball will bid for his services.

The 26-year-old reliever is 1-6 on the season with a 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings (40 appearances) and eight saves in 11 opportunities. As Woo noted, however, since become the full-time closer he's saved eight of his last nine opportunities and has a 2.03 ERA.

WIth the ability to touch 100 MPH on his sinker and a nasty slider, Hicks has major potential as a lockdown closer going forward. That could make him a nice addition for a contending team's bullpen. It also makes him a strong candidate for an extension.

The motivations for trading him are simple enough: The Cardinals are 45-56 on the season and have already acknowledged that shaking up the core of the roster is needed.

"I feel like where this club's at right now, we just know it's not working intact," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters on July 17. "We do know we have to make some changes."

"If we can find talent that we think can help emerge in 2024, that'd be great," he added. "2025? I wouldn't rule that out either. But 2026 seems a long way away."

By moving him now, the Cardinals could not only get starting pitching prospects in return, but they could also potentially re-sign him in the winter. Hicks has already said he hopes to remain with the team.

"This is where I want to be," he told reporters last week. "I love it here."

Not only that, but lucrative extensions for relievers can be risky. Bullpen arms tend to have more season-by-season variance than other positions, even if top-end closers remain valuable.

Hicks has blown 12 saves in 40 opportunities throughout his career. He has nasty stuff, but he's no guarantee to be an elite closer for years to come. There's an argument to be made that getting prospects for him now is more prudent than risking a major financial commitment, especially given the possibility of signing him in the winter after any trade.

The benefits of signing him to an extension are just as obvious.

The Cardinals wouldn't risk losing him for nothing in free agency and could keep one of the more intriguing closers on the team going forward. They have other players they could move to restock the farm system and shake up the roster while holding onto a pitcher with truly nasty stuff. And trading him might anger him enough to take the Cardinals out of the running come free agency, eliminating the "having your cake and eating it too" scenario.

Either option is justifiable from the Cardinals' perspective, making him one of the more interesting names to monitor ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.