Latest news with #JohnMozeliak
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals rumors: Trade calls ringing off the hook after Diamondbacks debacle
The post Cardinals rumors: Trade calls ringing off the hook after Diamondbacks debacle appeared first on ClutchPoints. With the trade deadline slowly approaching, the St. Louis Cardinals seem to have been in a space where they felt like they did not have to be sellers. Before the All-Star break, they were battling to stay within range of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, and one good run could see them catapult near the top. Unfortunately, the opposite happened, and they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks. That led teams to start calling the Cardinals to see if they had changed their mind about staying pat before the deadline. 'People realized it was a tough weekend for us,' general manager John Mozeliak said via The Athletics. 'Where we are in the standings definitely affects our decision-making going forward. Playing those three games and losing all three was not helpful.' With where the Cardinals were in the standings before the break, it made sense to keep their team together, but now, things are looking interesting days before the July 31 date. 'The Cardinals retained veteran players such as Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray without making significant investments in their major-league payroll to push forward. While creating opportunities for young talent, the Cardinals did not go all-in and replenish their farm system by trading, for example, All-Star closer Ryan Helsey. In this bridge season, the Cardinals have been largely competitive and mostly unexceptional,' The Athletic wrote. There are several players on the Cardinals that teams have their eyes on, and Arenado has constantly been in trade rumors. Recently, Mozeliak let it be known that he sees Arenado as a part of the future for the team, but if something were to come up, he'd discuss that with him. Depending on how things go these next couple of days for the Cardinals, it will be interesting to see what they do in the market. Related: Cardinals DFA trade candidate Related: MLB rumors: Why Cardinals-Tigers Nolan Arenado trade makes sense
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Ryan Helsley puts astonishing percentage on potential trade
The post Cardinals' Ryan Helsley puts astonishing percentage on potential trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. Pitcher Ryan Helsley made it known where he wants to be: with the St. Louis Cardinals. With the MLB trade deadline approaching and the team straying even further from contention, he seems unlikely to be. The Cardinals' closer has always been considered a trade chip, but this time feels 'real.' Helsley even said as much: 'The likelihood is probably as great as it's ever been for me to get traded,' he said. On Thursday, St. Louis held a record just above .500, sitting 9 1/2 games behind the National League Central leaders. After a rough 1–5 road trip — including a sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks and a shutout loss to the struggling Colorado Rockies — signs point toward a potential soft rebuild. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak has not publicly committed to a direction, but recent results may leave him little choice. If he does decide to sell, it would mark just the second time he's done so in nearly 20 years at the helm. Helsley, a pending free agent, has drawn serious interest from at least five teams, according to league sources. Despite a dip in effectiveness — opponents are hitting .415 with a .538 slugging percentage against his fastball — his elite velocity remains attractive. His closing experience and power arm still make him a target for contenders looking to bolster their bullpens ahead of the postseason push. 'I would say it's 90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay,' Helsley said. Despite some inconsistency this season, Helsley's arm remains one of the most electric MLB relievers. Demand for late-inning firepower never wanes as the deadline nears, and several clubs have contacted the Cardinals. St. Louis's decision to hold on to him last offseason surprised many rival executives, and now his trade value — while slightly diminished — remains strong. From Helsley's perspective, the front office has a significant call to make. 'Do you sell, where this is a two or three-year rebuild? Or do you just solely take this as a rebuild year?' he asked. 'But I want to stay here. I want to help us win here, with the Cardinals.' Whether he'll get that chance, however, remains uncertain. Related: Cardinals' Oliver Marmol eviscerates St. Louis with 6-word statement after Rockies loss Related: Cardinals DFA trade candidate
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about the Cardinals' trade deadline: John Mozeliak listening on relievers
ST. LOUIS — As the St. Louis Cardinals teeter above .500, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has started to field calls regarding many of his players, not just pending free agents. Though the Cardinals have not publicly declared their intent to sell, Mozeliak has reached out to teams to inform them relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz are available, according to multiple league sources. All three pitchers will be free agents at the end of the season. Reliever JoJo Romero is also drawing interest from rival clubs, though he will not be a free agent until 2027. Advertisement Helsley, who wishes to remain in St. Louis, recently described his chances of being traded as '90 percent.' The two-time All-Star closer is the longest-tenured Cardinal, and expressed his hope for an extension in spring training. But the Cardinals' decline in July, combined with Chaim Bloom and a new front office taking over after the season, squashed all potential extension conversations. 'The likelihood is probably as great as it's ever been for me to get traded,' Helsley said recently to The Athletic. St. Louis will entertain offers on Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray. Both players have full no-trade clauses, but could be motivated to waive them for the right fit. Mozeliak has started to gauge the interest of a handful of contending teams, though the talks are described as preliminary. The odds of either player being traded before the deadline remain slim, but the Cardinals are financially motivated to move their contracts. Gray is owed $35 million in 2026, his final guaranteed year of his three-year contract, while Arenado has $31 million (not including deferrals) remaining over the next two seasons. The Cardinals' attempts to trade Arenado date back to the offseason. Arenado provided Mozeliak with a list of five teams he would consider waiving his no-trade clause for: the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros. St. Louis believed it had a trade in place to send Arenado to Houston, but he vetoed the deal at the time. The Cardinals were unable to find a suitable trade partner for the remainder of the winter, leading to Arenado remaining in St. Louis. Arenado has posted a stellar year defensively, but his offensive decline is worrisome. Arenado entered play Friday hitting .241 with an OPS of just .677. His last homer came over a month ago, on June 21, against the Cincinnati Reds. Arenado, 34, has never demanded a trade from St. Louis, but he has been vocal about his preference to play for a contending team. Eugenio Suárez represents the best available third baseman on the market, but a team looking to upgrade the hot corner could target Arenado as a potential change-of-scenery candidate. Similar to the offseason, however, a team interested in acquiring Arenado must also be willing to take on a significant portion of his contract. Arenado must also be willing to expand his list of approved teams, and the third baseman has not yet indicated he'd be willing to do so. Advertisement Multiple teams have inquired about All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan, with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers known to have interest. Both the Dodgers and the Yankees were major pursuers for Tommy Edman last year, with Los Angeles edging out New York in a three-team trade that sent Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox to St. Louis. Donovan, a super-utility player who is hitting just under .300 this year, is a similar player to Edman and was part of the reason why St. Louis felt comfortable trading Edman. The Yankees made their first splash of the deadline Friday afternoon, acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies for pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz. It's unclear if netting McMahon changed the Yankees' interest in Donovan. The Dodgers expect to be one of the more active buyers this deadline and are looking to add a left-handed bat that can play the outfield. Donovan's natural positions are second and third base, but he's serviceable in both corner outfield spots. Donovan is not considered untouchable, and the Cardinals will listen, team sources said. But the asking price is sky-high, and St. Louis is in no rush to part with him, as he still has two years of arbitration remaining. Other position players gathering varying levels of interest are Iván Herrera, Alec Burleson and Lars Nootbaar. The Cardinals will not part with one of their position players unless they are blown away by the offer, and their conversations have not progressed past initial check-ins. The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya contributed to this report. (Top photo of Ryan Helsley: Joe Puetz / Getty Images)
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Cardinals General Manager Keeping Decision 'Fluid' With Time Running Out
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The St. Louis Cardinals needed a strong start out of the break to solidify themselves as buyers before the trade deadline. What they got was a 1-5 start in a road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told Katie Woo of The Athletic, "We're being much more open-minded to where we were pre-All-Star break" while calling the situation "fluid" before the Cardinals dropped their series with the Rockies. MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 24: John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals answers questions from the media before the spring training game against the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park on March... MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 24: John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals answers questions from the media before the spring training game against the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park on March 24, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. More Photo byThe Cardinals are trying to catch up to the San Diego Padres, and with the pair taking the field against each other, the Cardinals can do so this weekend. It would take a sweep to jump the Padres in the standings, and with a series against the Miami Marlins to follow, the Cardinals could change their deadline outlook by Monday. It is Mozeliak's last hurrah in the Cardinals front office, and he is tasked with setting up incoming PBO Chaim Bloom with the best future that he can, and allowing Bloom to create his vision. The Cardinals have valuable pieces to move this summer, including closer Ryan Helsley. In a reliever-heavy market, last season's National League Reliever of the Year is one of the most sought-after pitchers at the trade deadline. After defeating the Padres Thursday night, the Cardinals inched closer and are now 2 1/2 games back for the final wild card spot. The Cardinals might be hesitant and stand pat until the weekend series wraps up to see if they believe that they can find their way back into the playoffs. More MLB: Royals Reportedly Willing To Trade, Looking To Compete Next Year
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals designate starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment
DENVER — The St. Louis Cardinals have designated right-handed starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment, the team announced Wednesday morning. Fedde, 32, had struggled mightily over his last several starts. In his nine starts since June 1, he logged just 39 1/2 innings and posted a 7.32 ERA, allowing 32 earned runs, 51 hits and 21 walks. Despite those struggles, the Cardinals kept Fedde in the starting rotation, hoping he would be able to turn his performance around and boost potential trade value. Advertisement But the organization reached its reckoning point after Fedde's start on Tuesday, where he allowed six earned runs over three innings against the Colorado Rockies. 'The truth is I've been awful,' Fedde said after Tuesday's game, an 8-4 loss. 'I'm putting the team in terrible spots, giving up runs early, putting our batters in tough spots. Confidence? For sure, all-time low. But I've had lows, I've had highs in this game, and I'm just trying to be professional, show up every day and give it my best. The team deserves better.' With the Cardinals (52-50) clinging onto their season, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expected to make trade deadline decisions in the near future, the club could not justify having Fedde, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the White Sox last July, take another start. '(Fedde) understood it,' Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Wednesday, before St. Louis' series finale against the Rockies. 'He understood that we gave him several starts to try to correct and get on the other side of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't translating into games. He was working hard at it, but he also understands where we are as an organization, and that this opens up a spot for one of the young guys to contribute going forward.' Right-hander Michael McGreevy will slot into the rotation after spending the first half of the season shuffling between Triple A and the majors. He remained with the team after making a spot start against the Rockies on Monday, scattering two runs over seven innings in the Cardinals' 6-2 victory. The expectation is that McGreevy, the club's first-round pick in 2021, will spend the rest of the season in the Cardinals rotation. McGreevy holds a 3.49 ERA in the majors this season over five appearances (four starts). Reliever Andre Granillo was recalled from Triple-A Memphis as the corresponding move for Fedde. (Top photo of Erick Fedde:)
