5 players the Cardinals should consider selling high on

For years, the narrative surrounding John Mozeliak and the St. Louis Cardinals in terms of trades has been the fact that the Cardinals hold on to players for too long. Also, the prospects they do trade for major-league talent often find success outside of St. Louis.

Whether it be Randy Arozarena with the Tampa Bay Rays, Sandy Alcantara with the Miami Marlins, Zac Gallen with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Juan Yepez and Lane Thomas with the Washington Nationals, or Adolis Garcia for the Texas Rangers, the list of players who have played well after leaving the Cardinals is quite lengthy.

It's not often John Mozeliak trades players at their peak value, particularly young players. Rather than trading outfielder Dylan Carlson after his 2022 season, the Cardinals held onto him and traded him for a rental reliever in Shawn Armstrong whom the Cardinals cut just a few weeks after acquiring him.

Tyler O'Neill had a monster 2021 season, but his track record of injuries and streakiness should have given the Cardinals worry. Those worries came to fruition in 2022 and 2023, and Mozeliak traded him for two prospect pitchers, one of whom is no longer in the system.

While hindsight is always 20/20, and trading these players after the years they had would have surely sent the fanbase into a tizzy, it's well-known around the league that the Cardinals haven't been able to evaluate their prospects properly, and they haven't been able to capitalize on the value players have. Instead, they've opted to hold on a bit too long and in turn, have gotten lackluster returns for players who were once very good.

Having said all that, John Mozeliak has made a trade recently that was a great one. Last offseason, outfielder/infielder Richie Palacios was traded for reliever Andrew Kittredge. Palacios had a fine year, but he toiled in the minors for most of 2024. Meanwhile, Kittredge helped form one of the best back-ends of a bullpen in baseball last year. In this case, the Cardinals capitalized on a player's performance and sold high on him.

John Mozeliak should consider trading these five players while their value is as high as it is right now.

C Jimmy Crooks

I've chosen to start with a prospect. Catcher Jimmy Crooks rose in the organization's prospect rankings this year. The 23-year-old was drafted in the fourth round in 2022 out of Oklahoma University, and he spent all of 2024 with Double-A Springfield.

While in Springfield, Crooks slashed .321/.410/.498 for a wRC+ of 156. He walked 11.6% of the time while striking out just 21% of the time. Both of those figures are par for the course for the lefty in his career in the minors thus far. Crooks isn't much built for power, as he hit 11 home runs this year in 315 at-bats and 12 home runs last year in 413 at-bats.

Where Crooks continues to impress is defensively. He's known mostly for his receiving and blocking abilities, though pitchers have been quite open about their preference in throwing to him. He has a 55 arm and field grade on the 20-80 grade prospect scale that is used.

Jimmy Crooks's improvements at the plate paired with his continued development defensively have made him the organization's best catching prospect and their fifth-overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

With Willson Contreras, Ivan Herrera, and Pedro Pages under team control for at least the next three years, the Cardinals could seek to trade high on Jimmy Crooks this offseason. The Cardinals have a glut of catchers in the fold for 2025, so at least one should be moved this offseason to fill a need in another area.

RHP Ryan Helsley

Ryan Helsley was one of the best relievers in all of baseball in 2024. He led all of baseball with 49 saves, he had a 2.04 ERA, and he struck out nearly 11 batters per nine innings. He threw a total of 66.1 innings, and he finished 62 games for the Cardinals last year. Suffice it to say, Helsley was dominant.

Helsley's value was probably at its peak at this past year's trade deadline, but he was chasing the franchise single-season save record, and the Cardinals were in a playoff push at the time. Trading him in July was tantamount to the Milwaukee Brewers trading Josh Hader a couple of years ago; had the Cardinals dealt Ryan Helsley at the deadline, the morale of the team would have likely changed for the worse.

Helsley's value still remains high, albeit not quite as high as some fans may think. It's likely a player of Ryan Helsley's ability in his final year of team control nets one top-100 prospect no higher than 75th overall or multiple fringe top-100 prospects. He's projected to receive around $7 million next year through arbitration, and if the front office and ownership want to save money, that's a move they could make.

Considering the Cardinals are entering a "reset" period, trading a relief pitcher -- an already volatile position -- while he's near his peak value would be wise. It will be tough to see Ryan Helsley, a true homegrown player, be traded and possibly pitch well somewhere else, but it would be borderline malpractice to keep him on the roster for 2025.

C Ivan Herrera

What's shameful about the 2024 Cardinals is that they had so many catchers succeed. Pedro Pages could have even been on this list, though he likely won't bring much in return. Between Pages, Jimmy Crooks, Ivan Herrera, and Willson Contreras, the Cardinals have four viable catchers for 2025 and beyond.

Herrera had a fantastic sophomore season last year. For a time, he was the team's primary catcher due to injuries to Willson Contreras. He slashed .301/372/.428 for a 124 OPS+ in 259 plate appearances. He hit only five home runs, but he was also able to log 12 doubles and a triple. For a time, Ivan Herrera was the Cardinals' best player offensively.

For as much flak as he gets for his defense, it's a bit over-criticized. According to Statcast, he was at -1 for catcher run value, a net zero on framing, -2 for stolen base prevention, and +1 at blocking. He's working on his defense all offseason, so those numbers will likely see some growth.

If the Cardinals intend on keeping Willson Contreras and Pedro Pages as his backup, dealing Ivan Herrera after the season he just had would be wise. Personally, I would rather the Cardinals keep Ivan Herrera and employ him partially as the team's designated hitter or occasional first baseman while spelling Contreras at catcher. However, last year's roster construction and player usage would indicate Oliver Marmol's preference toward Pedro Pages behind Conteras.

Herrera isn't a free agent until 2030. His team control paired with his plus offense from behind the plate make him a wonderful trade candidate. If the Cardinals are looking to deal from depth while acquiring necessary pieces for the future, Ivan Herrera fits the bill.

C Willson Contreras

Having three catchers on this list is bizarre for a team that cried catcher poor following the departure of Yadier Molina. Willson Contreras, despite his time spent on the Injured List last year, has tremendous value.

Contreras has three years remaining on his deal before a club option in 2028, and he's owed $18 million each year with an escalator to $18.5 million in 2027. All things considered, that's a very manageable contract for a catcher who could eventually become a full-time designated hitter. Even when considering contracts of DHs with similar production right now, Contreras is right in line with players like Giancarlo Stanton, Yordan Alvarez, and others in both production and cost.

Willson finished 2024 with a .262/.380/.468 slash line and a 136 OPS+. He hit 15 home runs and drove in 79 baserunners in only 301 at-bats. His 136 OPS+ was the best of his career and that's while catching 51 out of 84 games.

Defensively, Contreras graded out positively in blocking and caught stealing percentage. He was below average in pop time and framing, though framing will eventually become an unnecessary art once the Automated Ball-Strike System is implemented across baseball.

Despite Contreras's pricey contract, he still carries ample value. He's a veteran of the game who has improved his catching skills while still providing well-above-average offensive output. He would be a great trade candidate to both save money and bring back several prospects.