The Cardinals didn’t do anything this offseason, other than sign a few relievers to minor league deals. I guess that’s better than nothing, but the point is, they didn’t accomplish anything. Nobody was traded, and young players are still somewhat blocked. In a sense, they’re running it back with exactly the same team as 2024, minus Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Kittredge.
The failed Nolan Arenado trade is the reason players like Thomas Saggese don’t have a clear path in 2025. The same can be said about Luken Baker, Victor Scott II, Michael Siani, and even Alec Burleson to a degree.
At this point, I think it’s very likely that Arenado will be a Cardinal through the 2025 season and that barring a severe injury to a key player on one of his desired teams, the next opportunity won’t come until next offseason, when the Dodgers will have an opening due to Max Muncy’s impending free agency.
I realize it may be a bit early to be talking about the trade deadline, especially in late February. But if the Cardinals are truly going to reset, then the trade deadline is going to be their next opportunity to do so.
I for one still believe the Cardinals made a mistake not selling at the deadline last year. Even when they were playing well, it was obvious to most fans that 2024 wasn’t their year and that they were never going to be able to compete with the Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Mets, Padres and Brewers in the National League. Buying instead of selling only hurt them and delayed their much-needed reset, as well as their return to status as true contenders even further.
But we won’t waste any more time rehashing the past. Now, the focus really needs to be on the future, and the Cardinals will have yet another opportunity to do that at the trade deadline. They have players such as Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde on expiring contracts, and we all saw last year how much teams are willing to give for rental pitchers if they’re making a push for the playoffs.
As of now, it appears that these two pitchers are the only sellable pieces, though I suppose if some of the new reliever makes the roster and have strong starts, they could be had by contending teams as well. But the reason I was in favor of selling last year was that the Cardinals need to restock the farm with more prospects to build for the future.
With Helsley and Fedde in the final years of their deals, the 2025 deadline is the last opportunity the Cardinals have to accomplish this. Helsley especially can bring back a haul, and I would hate to see the Cardinals hold onto him because they want to contend, only to lose him in free agency for nothing more than a compensation draft pick.
No matter what the Cardinals say about wanting to contend this year, the fanbase isn’t buying it. At least I’m not. The focus for this season should not be on contending, but rather on the future. They need to prioritize 2026 and beyond if they want to get back to where they once were.
It’s good that they’re investing in player development this offseason, but it would certainly help to load up on some more prospects and not waste their last chance to get a haul for the best reliever in all of baseball.
Helsley saved 49 games last year, and if he has anywhere close to as good of a season in 2025, he’s going to be worth a lot. I think the same could even be said for Fedde. I personally would like to see guys like Michael McGreevy, Gordon Graceffo, Sem Robberse, Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence get chances down the road. Fedde and Helsley almost certainly won’t be back in 2026, so now is the time to see what the Cardinals have and truly embark on this reset.
Heck, if the Cardinals are under .500 at the deadline like in 2023, then I wouldn’t be totally opposed to seeing them try to move Sonny Gray either, even if his list of destinations is more limited than that of Arenado’s.
I think the vast majority of the fanbase has accepted the reality that 2025 is not going to be the most pleasant year in baseball heaven. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it won’t be nearly as bad as 2023, but it’s not going to be pretty.
And when that’s the case, the best thing you can do when the trade deadline comes around is to sell, and like last year, I think the Cardinals would be making a grave mistake to not be sellers this year.
I honestly don’t care where the Cardinals are in the standings this year when the deadline arrives. I’ll hope for the best of course. It’d be nice to see them surprise people and have the best record in baseball by then. But I don’t see that happening. The time is now for them to truly prioritize the future.
