7 expendable players the Cardinals can move at the trade deadline and still compete

Major League pitchers that can be trade pieces

Phil Maton

I have to be careful citing an important bullpen piece as "expendable", but in the case of Phil Maton, he seems to be an option to be dealt, whether the Cardinals are competing or not. Maton was the team's lone Major League addition during the offseason, and the return on their $2 million investment has been quality. His 23 games pitched this season trail only Kyle Leahy for the most on the team, and he leads all Cardinal relievers with 28 strikeouts. Maton has also stepped in for Ryan Helsley when the normal closer has needed a day off and has notched two saves to go along with his 10 holds. So why would the Cardinals want to deal Maton if he has been so effective?

Simply because he has been so effective. Maton has always had an above-average ability to strike out opposing batters, but he has done so at a career-best rate this season while also putting up the best walk rate of his nine-year career. I was tempted to put Helsley in this spot as I think the return for the closer may be better than what a setup man might receive, but Helsley has been solid again at the end of games with a triple-digit fastball and above-average breaking stuff. Maton relies on his breaking ball more than a shutdown reliever typically does, and his sinker and cutter average about 90mph.

Maton would be an attractive trade target because of his cheap contract as well. Helsley is making $8.2 million this year and will see a bigger salary when he hits free agency next year. Teams may be hesitant to give up too much for a rental and settle for a cheaper, effective option in Maton. Reliever-needy teams could create a bidding war for the righty, which could increase the prospect capital the Cardinals may receive in a deal.

John King

Dipping back into the bullpen, lefty John King could be another piece the Cardinals sell high on. While the results of his season fall mostly in line with his career numbers, the peripherals show that he may be outperforming his expected stats. King has never been a strikeout guy, but this year, his K-rate has fallen to 12.6%, which, according to Baseball Savant, is second-percentile in all of baseball. He is able to limit damage with a solid walk rate (6.9%), but opposing hitters are making hard contact 40% of the time, and his expected ERA is almost a full point higher than his 3.62 mark he has put up this year.

If the Cardinals were to deal King, that would leave them with Steven Matz and JoJo Romero as left-handed options in the bullpen, but minor leaguer Andre Granillo could fill that spot. Although he is a righty, Granillo's devastating changeup has been a weapon against lefties as they are only hitting .118 against him in the minors.