Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Urged To Complete Franchise-Altering Blockbuster With Phillies, Mariners

Could St. Louis soon deal two of its most valuable players?

Nate Hagerty

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to trade valuable players this winter to reinvest their time and resources into fixing their weakened player development system.

Eliminating specific contracts from payroll would help advance St. Louis' rebuilding efforts. It would also permit Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. to spend more on coaching and technology to rejuvenate the organization's 19th-ranked farm system.

Perhaps DeWitt can lower payroll this offseason by trading a pair of Cardinals fan favorites to the Philadelphia Phillies in an intriguing three-team blockbuster.

Cardinals right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley and third baseman Nolan Arenado were mentioned as potential trade candidates in a deal with the Phillies and Seattle Mariners, suggested by MLB Network's Anthony Castrovince on Tuesday. This proposal would send both St. Louis stars, along with Emerson Hancock and cash, to Philadelphia. The 11-time World Series champions would receive two top-10 prospects from Philly and Seattle's third top prospect. The Mariners would receive Alec Bohm from the Phillies.

Trading Arenado and Helsley must generate a profitable return for St. Louis' future. Otherwise, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will keep both beloved veterans for 2025.

The three top prospects mentioned in Castrovince's trade proposal could satisfy Mozeliak's need to retool the organization's lackluster farm system this offseason.

Crawford and Montes have tremendous upside and could help bolster the outfield, which lacks offensive prowess. Both prospects are only 20 years old but have shown great potential, with the former having climbed his way to Double-A and the ladder belting 21 home runs in Single-A this year.

Abel struggled on the mound in 2024 but his scouting report is encouraging enough to entice the Cardinals. Now that Chaim Bloom is focused on fixing the Cardinals' player development system, perhaps St. Louis could find a way to unlock the Phillies prospect's full potential.

Parting ways with Helsley and Arenado will likely require a blockbuster deal, such as the one mentioned earlier. The only way they're dealt is if St. Louis would receive a decent haul of top prospects in return, validating Castrovince's proposal with the Phillies and Mariners.

More MLB: Cardinals 10-Time Gold Glover Reportedly Scheming Ways To Be Traded From St. Louis

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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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