Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Veteran Upset With Likelihood Of Being Dealt At Trade Deadline

The St. Louis hurler doesn't sound thrilled about his possible future
Nate Hagerty|
May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets 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 12-16 and 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central but it's still too early to predict how they'll approach the trade deadline.

Although the Cardinals declared an organizational reset last fall, the franchise's front office is having difficulty determining what decisions must be made to improve the organization's future -- partially due to several remaining veterans' full no-trade clauses.

In all likelihood, St. Louis will be active in shopping several players' contracts before the July 31st trade deadline, including a high-leverage hurler who sounds displeased with how his future with the Cardinals might pan out.

"Will there come a time later this season when (Phil) Maton is playing against the Cards?" MLB.com's John Denton wrote Sunday. "He is one of their most valuable veterans, and he could likely fetch a couple of prospects in return at the Trade Deadline. So, as happy as he is now about being with the "hometown" team, he knows time here could be fleeting. 'It's a constant reminder that this is baseball and it’s a business,' he said wistfully."

Maton, who grew up a die-hard Cardinals fan, has logged an admirable 0-1 record with a 2.63 ERA, 17-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .212 batting average against and a 0.95 WHIP in 13 2/3 innings pitched across 15 appearances for St. Louis this season.

After surprisingly enduring most of this past offseason unsigned, the Cardinals snagged Maton with a one-year, $2 million deal -- making the nine-year veteran a prime rental trade candidate for contenders looking to bolster their bullpen this summer.

However, St. Louis remains competitive and has plenty of baseball to play before the trade deadline. Dealing Maton for prospects this summer isn't yet guaranteed but if the Cardinals are out of contention in July, it's likely the 32-year-old will finish 2025 elsewhere.

More MLB: MLB Insider 'Could Really See' Cardinals Move Rising Star To DH Out Of Desperation

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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