Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Rumors Heating Up As Odd-Man Out Emerges

Will the Cardinals trade pieces away?
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are trending in the wrong direction and that could lead to a deal or two ahead of the July 31st trade deadline.

St. Louis had a few pieces to specifically watch, including Nolan Arenado, Ryan Helsley, and Steven Matz. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa talked about the Cardinals and shared that trade rumors around Matz are growing.

"Cardinals getting calls about Matz," Axisa said. "Teams are showing interest in Cardinals lefty Steven Matz, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis is also likely to at least consider offers for righty relievers Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton. Helsley, Maton, and Matz will all be free agents after the season. The Cardinals are 51-47 and 2 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot, so they are in the postseason race.

"Now 34, Matz has had a terrific season with St. Louis as a multi-inning reliever, thanks mainly to his ability to limit walks and hard contact in the air. He's gotten at least four outs in 21 of his 28 appearances and at least five outs 16 times. This is the final season of Matz's four-year, $44 million contract. He will still be owed $4 million or so after the trade deadline."

The Cardinals aren't trending in the right direction to kick off the second half. If the trade deadline was tomorrow, it seems likely that the Cardinals would trade pieces away. Matz certainly seems like a likely option at this point.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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