Dominos Falling In Right Order For Cardinals 'Headline-Grabbing Trade'

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't completed any significant trades since announcing plans to reset and create opportunities for younger talent last fall.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made it sound as if the team would be without several veterans in 2025. However, St. Louis' front office signed one free agent and didn't remove any key players from the payroll over the offseason.

Consequently, the Cardinals are stuck between wanting to contend while looking for ways to rebuild. With how things are headed, a blockbuster trade involving a St. Louis fan favorite could be completed this summer.

"All of this is to say the two factors most essential to keeping the (Nolan) Arenado trade market alive – improved offensive performance on Arenado's part and poor results at the team level for St. Louis – are trending in the necessary directions," CBS Sports' Dayn Perry wrote Wednesday, suggesting that the Cardinals could be positioned to trade Arenado this summer.

Arenado is having a solid offensive season -- batting .274 with 23 hits, 10 extra-base hits including two home runs, 11 RBIs and a .818 OPS in 23 games played for the Cardinals.

"Things should crystallize further as we get closer to the July 31 trade deadline, but for now the potential for a headline-grabbing trade that sends Arenado out of St. Louis seems very much in play," Perry finished with.

Although Arenado's offensive performance this year isn't quite on par with earlier career stats, he remains a 10-time Gold Glove defender and likely future Hall of Fame candidate who several teams, including the New York Yankees, might desire at the trade deadline.

Despite the Cardinals' much improved offense from last year, the club is 10-14 and 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.

Considering the talent in the NL West and NL East, the Cardinals' only realistic hope of making the playoffs this year is winning their division, which currently appears to belong to the Cubs.

If the Cardinals are far from playoff contention in July, it would make sense for them to shop Arenado, opening third base for rising star Nolan Gorman and creating massive payroll flexibility to help the rebuilding franchise invest in its future. Still, there's plenty of baseball left to play but with the way things are shaping up, the five-time Silver Slugger could finish his season elsewhere.

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