The St. Louis Cardinals should expect a major shakeup within the organization this offseason, but first comes the MLB trade deadline.
While John Mozeliak insisted that a Cards rebuild was not on the horizon, the team does have several players in the final year of their contracts who could be useful to contenders. With that in mind, who will St. Louis sell?
Per MLB Trade Rumors and Cards beat reporter Jeff Jones, Mozeliak's plans are somewhere in the middle:
"I would hope the Cardinals are not allowed to rebuild," Mozeliak told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat), in reference to the "pressure" St. Louis fans put on the team to remain perpetual contenders. This is the only scenario that Mozeliak seems to have ruled out in regards to the trade deadline, since "as we sit here on the 23rd of June, we still don't know exactly which path we'll walk. From a front office standpoint, we have to start preparing."
The Cards roster will look much, much different come August 1. They will likely be down a few veterans who they traded elsewhere, and an influx of youth will give this team a fresh feel that is desperately needed.
Mozeliak is right in one aspect — the Cardinals have talent on the big-league roster. Trading it all away defeats the purpose of building an MLB team in the first place. But it's also important for a front office to understand when its product is underperforming. That is the case with the Cards right now, which is why the roster won't be all that recognizable a month from now.
Cardinals who won't be on the roster: Jordan Montgomery
Montgomery is on the final year of his contract, and while he's arguably been the best pitcher in the St. Louis rotation, he's also trade bait. The Cards traded for Montgomery themselves last July in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bander. As good as Montgomery has been at times, he is no ace.
The former Yankee farmhand can land a solid prospect in return, which is why the Cardinals should consider moving him now. Re-signing him this winter is no guarantee, and St. Louis has just as good of chance to do so if they move him at the deadline.
Cardinals who won't be on the roster: Dylan Carlson
The Cardinals reportedly could have included Dylan Carlson in a trade last season for Juan Soto. Of course, the deal would have been much more than just Carlson, but St. Louis said no. They valued their young outfielder too much.
If we've learned anything in a year, it's that Carlson may not be the All-Star the Cards thought he would be. That's okay, but it also means he's up for grabs at the current deadline.
Redbird Rants pitched a trade a few weeks ago which would send Carlson and Tyler O'Neill to Cleveland for Shane Beiber. It's not a bad idea, especially since Beiber's value is expected to be down due to his decrease in fastball velocity and contract status. The Cards also need some pitching help.
After an impressive 18-home run rookie season a few years ago, Carlson's numbers have been down across the board. He's not providing the offensive support St. Louis needs from their beleaguered outfield corps. He feels like a strong candidate to get moved.
Cardinals who won't be on the roster: Jack Flaherty
Jack Flaherty is another pitcher in the final year of his contract. The 27-year-old should still have his share of interested suitors around the league, but his production on the mound for St. Louis has been nothing shy of disappointing.
A few years ago, Flaherty looked like a burgeoning All-Star star with the potential to compete for Cy Young awards. Now, he's toiling below .500 in the record book (4-5) with a ghastly 4.95 ERA and the third-lowest strikeout rate of his career.
Flaherty's future in St. Louis is tenuous at best and the Cards are staring down the barrel of a full-blown retool, whether the front office will openly admit it or not. If anything particular branch of the roster needs a thorough retool, it's the pitching staff. There's no reason not to at least test the market with Flaherty.
Injuries have disrupted Flaherty's career at various points and there's reason to believe he can still rekindle some of his former magic. He's not old by baseball standards and there are probably better environments to be in right now than the one in St. Louis. Maybe a trade could work well for both sides.
