Cardinals On $116M All-Star's No-Trade List (Report)

The St. Louis Cardinals have been active so far this offseason. In the trade market, St. Louis dealt Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox. In free agency, the Cardinals have reportedly agreed to sign former Los Angeles Dodgers and Red Sox pitcher Dustin May.

St. Louis has said that it's going to be active this offseason and those have not been empty words. There's still plenty more to come, including some potentially difficult trades. That's been the buzz of the offseason so far and will continue to be the case. But, on a quick sidenote, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal dropped a column on Monday highlighting the latest news he has heard around baseball. The Cardinals aren't the only team that has been at the center of trade rumors. Another one out there is the Arizona Diamondbacks and specifically All-Star infielder Ketel Marte.

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Rosenthal noted that Marte has a five-team no-trade list and that the Cardinals surprisingly are one of the five teams on it.

The Cardinals wouldn't be likely to make a move, anyway

Sep 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"The Arizona Diamondbacks’ two-year, $40 million agreement with right-hander Merrill Kelly, coupled with their one-year, $7.5 million signing of Michael Soroka, changes little in the team’s approach to trading second baseman Ketel Marte, according to a club source...

"In addition to their quest for pitching, both starting and relief, the Diamondbacks will need to upgrade their infield if they trade Marte. None of their internal options at second and third – Jordan Lawlar, Blaze Alexander, and Tim Tawa – are established major leaguers. Marte has a five-team no-trade list – the Athletics, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Giants, and Cardinals, according to people briefed on his contract. He will gain full no-trade protection as a player with 10 years of major-league service, five consecutive with the same team, on the 10th day of the 2026 season."

The Cardinals are loaded in the infield right now and it would be surprising -- to say the least -- to see the club go after a guy with five seasons left on a six-year, $116.5 million deal. But of all the teams in baseball, landing on a five-team no-trade list is tough.

The 60-102 Chicago White Sox aren't even one of the five teams listed by Rosenthal. Neither are the 72-90 Los Angeles Angels or the 66-96 Washington Nationals or even, the 43-119 Colorado Rockies. It's not like a deal would even be a possibility, but a tough look all the same.

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