Cardinals Reportedly Won't Trade Pair Of Notable Players Unless Decision Is Mutual

St. Louis might retain a couple stars for next season

Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are headed for an organizational reset and notable names are likely to be moved on from this upcoming offseason.

It has already been made known that St. Louis won't re-sign Kenyan Middleton, Andrew Kittredge and fan favorite Paul Goldschmidt, who will hit the free agent market this winter.

Despite the recent bombshell trade proposals concerning the Cardinals, a pair of star players might not be as tradable as some think.

"Two former All-Stars, Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, have no-trade clauses, but they also sought a move to the Cardinals because of their promise to be perennial contenders," St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold wrote Wednesday morning. "Gray’s salary rockets to $30 million in 2025. Arenado escaped Colorado (Rockies) and agreed to a complex trade to the Cardinals when the Rockies' spending shriveled and a playoff-worthy roster came apart. Mozeliak said conversations with them are ahead and decisions must be a 'two-way street.'"

Financially speaking, it would make sense for the Cardinals to trade Arenado and Gray this winter. With St. Louis looking to rebuild and reduce payroll, dropping both star's lucrative contracts is the logical thing to do.

However, after Arenado left the underperforming Rockies in search of a team that he could win a World Series with, it's tough to imagine why he'd want to finish his contract with St. Louis, which doesn't expire until after 2027.

As for Gray, he is signed through 2026 with an expensive club option for 2027 that the Cardinals would likely prefer to eliminate. The soon-to-be 35-year-old could be in the same boat as Arenado -- would prefer to be traded to a contender than wait out a rebuild with St. Louis.

Playing for the Cardinals used to mean much more than it does now. Although doubtful, perhaps Arenado and Gray would want to stay another year in St. Louis to help restore the once-well-respected organization to its former glory.

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