The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot of intriguing talent that many contending teams could use. Notably, their corner infielders from the past four seasons appear to be on their way out.
Free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is receiving interest from several teams, including the Yankees, Mariners, Giants, Nationals, and Mets (h/t USA Today’s Bob Nightengale). The 37-year-old is also seeking a long-term deal and has shown to still be a potent bat in a team’s lineup.
The Cardinals are ready to move on from some of their veterans
Additionally, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has seen his name in the trade market. The 33-year-old is one of the game’s top defensive third basemen but had a down year offensively last season after consistently being one of the top hitters in the league for several years.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand said that the Cardinals are ready to enter a new era of the organization and commit their finances to some of their younger players.
“The Cardinals are planning a “reset” for 2025 in hopes of clearing payroll and providing more playing time to their young core of players. In addition to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak saying that it is his intention to trade Arenado, St. Louis has received interest from the Blue Jays and D-backs in trading for All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, a source said,” Feinsand wrote.
The Cardinals are preparing to rebuild after a few rough seasons
After winning the NL Central Division in 2022, the past two seasons have been largely disappointing for the Cardinals. They finished with a 71-91 record in 2023 and fell short of reaching the playoffs last season with an 83-79 record.
Only three everyday position players for St. Louis were above the age of 30 last season. Those three players were Goldschmidt (37), Arenado (33), and Willson Contreras (32). Given the lack of success they have endured in the past two seasons, moving on from their star veterans and building around their promising young talent is the smart decision to shed some salary.
Arenado has three years and $74 million left on his contract, so whoever trades for the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner will be taking on a large portion of his salary. The Yankees are already committing a lot of money on Cody Bellinger’s contract, but they are one of the teams that desperately needs an upgrade at the hot corner.
The Cardinals are in a position where they are preparing to transition to a new rebuilding phase. Their veteran pieces have received a tremendous amount of interest, and their markets are sure to heat up in the coming weeks.