Cardinals Reportedly Could Ignite Star-Studded Fire Sale This Offseason, Per Insider

St. Louis might be ready to start over

Sep 22, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) enters the game against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are about to embark on an offseason that could completely change the franchise's direction as it looks to rebuild.

Cardinals fans have endured back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs and the status quo isn't cutting it anymore. Change needs to happen this winter and notable names could be moved.

Shortly after announcing that St. Louis intends to move on from 2022 National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt this offseason, The Athletic's Katie Woo revealed intriguing information that could signal an impending firesale filled with star players.

"One source indicated a reduction in major-league payroll could be coming, with the club (Cardinals) planning extensive upgrades to their minor-league system," Woo reported Sunday afternoon. "This could put multiple players’ futures into question. Nolan Arenado has three years remaining on his eight-year, $260 million deal. Sonny Gray’s three-year, $75 million contract is backloaded; he made just $10 million this season. Willson Contreras is still owed $54.5 million through 2027. Ryan Helsley should see a major increase from his $3.8 million 2024 salary as he enters his final year of arbitration."

Arenado and Gray endured seasons that fell short of the standards they had set for themselves based on previous years of dominance. The former endured the worst season of his career at the plate and the latter regressed as the season progressed.

Trading either veteran All-Star would be difficult but considering that the Cardinals aren't in a position to compete, it might be the right move to dump their expensive contracts and use that money to invest in the future.

Helsley is entering his final year of arbitration and will demand a hefty raise. The Cardinals could trade him while he's at the peak of his game and receive a significant haul of top prospects and other valuable assets in return.

Contreras is 33 years old and coming off a season where he only played in 84 games due to a pair of unfortunate injuries. After Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés emerged as two solid backups for the Cardinals catcher, his future with St. Louis doesn't look so secure.

Herrera and Pagés showed significant signs of potential, and if the Cardinals are ready to start over from the ground up, giving either youngster the starting catcher role next season could make sense.

It's still too early to tell who's going and who's staying for next season but one thing's for sure -- fan favorites will not be excluded from the trade block this winter.

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