Cardinals trade deadline plans remain ‘fluid' as John Mozeliak continues to field calls

New York Times

6 days ago

DENVER — John Mozeliak was hopeful his ball club would emerge from the All-Star break fired up and ready to make a run. But as the St. Louis Cardinals' long-time president of baseball operations approaches his final trade deadline, he knows the standings will ultimately dictate his course.
Their play as of late has not helped.
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The Cardinals were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks to kick off the second half of the season. They entered play Monday losers of 10 of 14 games in July, with an overall record of 51-49, putting them 3 1/2 games out of the final National League wild-card spot, and 8 1/2 games back in the National League Central.
'Clearly the weekend was not what we wanted to see,' Mozeliak said. 'Now we have to understand what the future looks like.'
Speaking from the visiting dugout at Coors Field on Monday afternoon, Mozeliak said he has yet to decide if the Cardinals will be buyers or sellers come July 31, calling the decision 'fluid.'
Still, he's well aware that his team is running out of time to make a push.
'Where we are in the standings definitely affects our decision making moving forward,' Mozeliak said. 'Playing those three games and losing all three was not helpful. Obviously, we wanted to come out of the break and have a positive start to it. We didn't. So as we reflect on what's best for the organization, there is the longer view in terms of are there decisions that we can make that would better situate the franchise in 2026 and beyond. We have a lot of players that teams have interest in, and we have to sort through all of that.
'We're being much more open-minded to where we were pre All-Star break.'
The Cardinals are listening on a variety of pitchers, including starter Erick Fedde and relievers Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton. Inquiring calls picked up rapidly after Sunday's game, Mozeliak admitted.
'I think people realized it was a tough weekend for us,' Mozeliak said.
Should the Cardinals elect to sell, they will likely focus on players on expiring deals, Mozeliak reiterated. However, with multiple teams in need of improvement at third base, if a potential trade scenario for Nolan Arenado arises, Mozeliak said he would discuss it with Arenado (who has a full no-trade clause).
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But Mozeliak will not sell simply for the sake of doing so. Capitalizing on returns and bolstering talent for the future remains imperative for any potential trade candidate. This includes Fedde, whose 4.83 ERA and 1.470 WHIP, will likely not bring in much in terms of a return. But trading him will open up a spot in the rotation for Michael McGreevy, a player who the Cardinals have long-wanted to see more of in the major leagues. This would still qualify as a future-forward move, regardless of return.
In Arenado's case, a trade at this time remains highly unlikely. Arenado entered play Monday hitting just .241 with a .680 OPS and hasn't homered since June 21. But what the Diamondbacks do with Eugenio Suárez could dramatically alter the third-base market, and contending teams could view Arenado, 34, as an experienced player who could benefit from a change of scenery.
'If something were to make sense that allows us to feel like we're improving for the future, then it might be worth a conversation,' Mozeliak said. 'I don't want to put ourselves in a situation where we don't want to explore anything.'
Even if the Cardinals can turn their recent play around, their division rivals might not give them much of a choice anyway. The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers aren't just tied atop the NL Central standings. Entering Monday, their 59-40 records also serve as the best records in the National League. The Cincinnati Reds (52-48) have clawed their way to four games above .500. All three teams have played strong baseball in July, and all look to be buyers (albeit to different degrees) this deadline.
'You have to compete in your division,' Mozeliak said. 'There are three teams that are really hot right now … And we're not.'
Barring an extreme collapse, St. Louis will still likely wait throughout the week before publicly declaring its direction. Following their series against the Rockies, the Cardinals will travel back to Busch Stadium for four games against the San Diego Padres, and will round out the final days before the deadline with three home games against the Miami Marlins.
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Earlier in the month, Mozeliak said he was prepared to wait until the final 72 hours before the deadline to act. That timeline might now change, he said, but nothing is definitive.
'Everyone that pays attention to the trade deadline knows a lot of things happen in those final minutes,' Mozeliak said. 'The more time you have to take down to the wire, you hope you can do better.
'That market's undefined, but there is a lot more chatter going on. More people will be calling, we will be doing more calling, and hopefully get some resolution.'
(Photo of Michael McGreevy pitching: Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)