Phillies Could Poach Cardinals' Top Trade Chips This Winter In Four-Player Swap

St. Louis could clear significant payroll room with the blockbuster

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding from the ground up, which puts several stars' futures with the organization in jeopardy.

Eliminating expensive contracts from the payroll will help the Cardinals reinvest their resources into fixing their broken player development system. Unfortunately, St. Louis already has a youth-laden roster, leaving the club with few trade chips.

However, a four-player blockbuster trade proposal between the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies could help the 11-time World Series champions reset.

"The Cardinals are focused on rebuilding and the Phillies need a hard-throwing, impact reliever, The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote Wednesday. "The Phillies lost two key high-leverage relievers to free agency — Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez — and have made it a priority to address that area this offseason. (Ryan) Helsley won the Trevor Hoffman Award winner this year as the best closer/reliever in the National League, logging a 2.04 ERA with 49 saves and 79 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. The Cardinals wouldn’t be able to get top pitching prospect Andrew Painteror the Phillies’ top position player prospect, third baseman Aidan Miller, in a deal. But they are trying to move Nolan Arenado and his contract, so perhaps if they package him with Helsley, they could get third baseman Alec Bohm from the Phillies, which would be a much better long-term situation for St. Louis. (Bohm is 28 and under team control for two more years.)"

The Cardinals have been mentioned as suitors for Bohm, who performed well in the 2024 regular season but became a shell of his former self when it mattered most -- the playoffs.

"Arenado has a full no-trade clause;The Athletic’s Katie Woo has reported, according to a team source, he wouldn’t waive that clause unless it was for a contender," Bowden continued. "If the Cardinals significantly paid down Arenado’s contract — he’s owed $32 million in 2025, $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027 — they also could probably get another prospect back in the deal, like outfielder Dante Noriperhaps. (Nori, 20, was the Phillies’ first-round pick this year.) Helsley and Arenado for Bohm and Nori?"

Losing Helsley and Arenado to the Phillies will be painful for Cardinals fans as they'd have to watch two former fan favorites play for a genuine postseason contender. Hopefully, St. Louis will acquire more than a struggling third baseman and a 20-year-old prospect with little experience this offseason if they trade both All-Stars.

More MLB: Potential Cardinals-Dodgers Trade Update: Third Base Available For Nolan Arenado