Two Fresh Cardinals Trade Predictions After Winter Meetings Wrap Up

The Cardinals aren't done making moves yet.

Sep 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) salutes the fans after he was ceremonially removed before the start of the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals’ offseason plans are starting to take shape. They didn’t make any moves at the Winter Meetings, but they aren’t close to being done just yet.

More trades will follow after Sonny Gray was sent to the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals are just getting started on their rebuild, and it should still be a busy offseason in St. Louis.

They still have a lot of trade chips that teams will be interested in. With the Winter Meetings done, here are two fresh trade predictions for the rest of the offseason as the Cardinals continue their work.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google

Nolan Arenado Stays Put Until The Trade Deadline

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) runs home after his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Much like last year, Arenado’s market is going to depend on the free agent market for third basemen. But instead of just Alex Bregman, Munetaka Murakami and Eugenio Suarez have joined the fray.

So far, there hasn’t been any interest in Arenado, who hit just .237 this season with 12 home runs and a .666 OPS. That could always change, but with the market expected to move slowly, it’s going to take a while for Arenado to have a market of his own.

After his 2025 struggles, teams may not be interested in him, even if the Cardinals eat the majority of his contract. For this reason, they’ll likely have to wait until the trade deadline, when there are fewer options available.

Willson Contreras Is Traded To The Mets

Sep 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (40) draws a walk against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The New York Mets lost Pete Alonso on Wednesday. However, they quickly pivoted and gave the Cardinals a call about Willson Contreras, per John Denton. 

He led the team with 20 home runs in 2025 and transitioned well to first base. He comes at a cheaper price than Arenado and has more upside, so he’ll likely have more suitors.

Contreras does have a no-trade clause, but if the fit is right, then moving him would be a good idea for St. Louis. The Mets still hope to contend while the Cardinals continue to rebuild, and Contreras may be willing to waive his no-trade clause to play in New York rather than stay in St. Louis.

The Cardinals can also get a lot for him if they eat some money. Teams will be more interested in him than Arenado, which makes a trade more likely.

More MLB: Tyler Mahle Headlines Veteran Trio Linked To Cardinals