Cardinals Trade Deadline Rumors: Nolan Arenado suitor, Ryan Helsley market, more

On the eve of the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves at the center of so many trade rumors as the clock ticks for deals to be made.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today continued his reporting on the Houston Astros' search for a third baseman via trade, and has now shared that the Astros do have interest in acquiring Nolan Arenado, despite comments from the Astros' GM earlier in the week (which Nightengale also reported) that seemed to shoot down the idea of them trying again.

The Astros are also exploring a reunion with Carlos Correa of the Minnesota Twins or jumping in on the Eugenio Suarez market, so it remains unclear what direction the Astros would go in.

Suarez would take the strongest offer in terms of prospect capital and has plenty of other suitors interested in him. Correa has three guaranteed years remaining on his deal of $30 million or more, along with three years of vesting options in 2029, 2030, and 2031, so a move for him would be even more complicated than Arenado, assuming the Twins have to eat money on the deal.

This renewed interest in Arenado was also reported by MLB.com's Jon Morosi and Mark Feinsand, with Feinsand naming a variety of clubs that want Suarez that may pivot to Arenado as the deadline nears.

Cardinals Trade Deadline Rumors: Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, JoJo Romero, and Steven Matz all drawing interest

There seems to be a robust trade market for Ryan Helsley building, with Katie Woo of The Athletic reporting that the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mets, Tigers, and Phillies are all believed to have interest in Helsley, with Feinsand adding the Rangers to that list and others in the industry reporting both the Yankees and Red Sox have interest. Many believe that other clubs have an interest as well.

According to MLB.com's John Denton, talks with the Blue Jays have intensified so much that Toronto has already been in contact with Helsley regarding sharing their closer role with Jeff Hoffman.

Helsley, especially now that Emmanuel Clase is under investigation for a sports betting scandal, may be the best closer available on the market, giving the Cardinals a ton of leverage in trade talks, as so many teams vying for World Series contention need an arm like Helsley.

This is also resulting in plenty of trade interest for Phil Maton, Steven Matz, and JoJo Romero as well.

One team to watch for Matz is the Blue Jays, who already swung a deal for Seranthony Dominguez but are looking for a swingman, and it appears both sides are open to a reunion.

Maton is a very attractive trade piece for rival clubs, as he's on just a $2 million salary this year and has posted a 2.35 ERA in 40 appearances, ranking among the best in baseball in pretty much every under-the-hood metric. Romero, who has an extra year of club control, has a 2.12 ERA on the year and has given up just one earned run since the beginning of May.