Inside The Cardinals

MLB Writer Forecasts Big Cardinals Move: 'He Was Signed To Be Traded'

The Cardinals could be looking to swing a few trades this season.
Zach Pressnell|
Mar 29, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Phil Maton (88) looks on during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Phil Maton (88) looks on during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are seemingly in a rebuild following anther disappointing season last year. St. Louis let a lot of veterans, including Paul Goldschmidt, walk in free agency.

They're also reportedly looking to make a few big trades this offseason with Ryan Helsley and Nolan Arenado being the team's two top trade chips. But those two aren't the only ones the Cardinals could look to trade this year.

FanSided's Zachary Rotman recently suggested the Cardinals only signed reliever Phil Maton to eventually trade him. Rotman predicted the Cardinals would trade the righty ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

"The only player signed to an MLB contract was Phil Maton, who inked a cheap one-year deal late into spring training," Rotman wrote. "Maton makes this bullpen better, but let's be real - a 32-year-old reliever who signs with a team not expecting to compete probably isn't expecting to stick around the entire year. If Maton performs well, there's every reason to believe he'll be traded by this year's trade deadline, as he was last season when he was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the New York Mets."

Maton, 32, is likely a trade chip for the Cardinals. He began last year with the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded to the New York Mets. If he can pitch well during the first half of this season, it's likely the Cardinals will trade him alongside Helsley, Arenado, and others this season. He's already tossed two scoreless outings this season.

More MLB: Cardinals Announce Lineup For Series Finale Vs. Twins: Two Youngsters Draw First Starts

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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