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.

CF Michael Siani

When the Cardinals claimed outfielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds in September of 2023, the plan was never for him to ascend and be the team's starting center fielder. He profiled best as a defensive-minded fourth outfielder.

When Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson, the team's presumptive center field options for 2024, went down with injuries to start the year, Siani was thrust into a starting role this year. in 334 plate appearances, Siani slashed .228/.285/.285 on the year for a wRC+ of 64. What makes his value so high isn't his offensive output.

Defensively, Siani accumulated 15 outs above average, he had a 15.8 UZR/150, and he was worth eight defensive runs saved. Those are figures virtually unmatched in baseball among center fielders. He's still only 25 years old, and he has plenty of tream control remaining, as he isn't a free agent until 2030. He also isn't eligible for arbitration until 2027.

Despite his offensive shortcomings, center fielder Michael Siani has a decent amount of trade value. He won't net a top-100 prospect, but he could be packaged with someone else to bring back a more valuable player. Also, with Victor Scott II being the center fielder of the future, Michael Siani may not have a spot on the team down the road.

Siani's trade value will never be higher than it is right now, and he isn't in the organization's plans for the future. John Mozeliak should capitalize on this opportunity and trade Michael Siani this offseason.

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 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.