3 Cardinals who could get traded before the end of spring training

LHP Steven Matz

Heading into spring training, Steven Matz will find himself embroiled in a battle for the final rotation spot with young prospect Michael McGreevy. Coming out of spring, Matz may find himself either relegated to the bullpen or with another team altogether.

Trading anyone not named Nolan Arenado was placed on the backburner early this offseason for the Cardinals. Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras made it clear early on that they wanted to stay with the Cardinals. John Mozeliak made it adamantly clear that he wants to keep Ryan Helsley on the roster in 2025.

Steven Matz is another player who had some trade interest that has dissipated ever since.

Matz is owed $12.5 million in 2025 as he enters the final year of his four-year, $44 million deal that he signed in the 2021-2022 offseason. While that price tag may seem high, it's manageable when looking at free-agent contracts given to players like Matthew Boyd this offseason. Matz still has value, particularly as a swingman, to many contending teams.

He's struggled to be healthy during his time with the Cardinals, but his career 2.97 ERA as a reliever holds value. Matz walks batters at a lower rate as a reliever, and batters have significantly worse hitting stats across the board when facing him just once in a game. He can pitch multiple innings in relief, and he adds depth to contending teams' collection of pitchers.

If a team like the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, or Texas Rangers have pitchers go down with injuries during spring training, they may reach out to the Cardinals to strike a deal for the veteran southpaw.

Matz won't fetch much in return, perhaps a low-end prospect from a team's farm system. However, trading him opens up the fifth rotation spot for a guy like Michael McGreevy. Other Triple-A starters including Gordon Graceffo, Sem Robberse, Quinn Mathews, or Zack Thompson could also snag the final rotation spot.

Watch for Matz's name to pop up in rumor mills as spring training heats up. He won't be the best trade candidate on the market, and he, too, comes with injury concerns, but he holds value in a certain role for teams.