3 potential trade destinations Cardinals' stars could get traded to during rebuild

Let me get this out of the way, I think all of us have different definitions when it comes to the idea of a rebuild. I believe the St. Louis Cardinals are choosing to enter one with upcoming organizational changes, but how I describe rebuild may be very different than you would.

The Cardinals embracing a rebuild does not mean the club needs to go into tank mode, losing 100+ games for the next few seasons and consistently picking toward the top of the MLB Draft. The Cardinals won just 71 games in 2023 and were able to rebound to finish above .500 in 2024. The majority of the Cardinals' core are young players as well, so they don't need to shed a veteran roster and tear it all down to the studs.

The most significant changes coming to the organization are going to be felt at the front office level and changes coming to player development at the minor league levels. Those things can be done without the Major League club drifting toward the worst teams in baseball, but the changes the Cardinals need to implement will take time, meaning it may take a few years before the Major League club can get back to legit contention in the National League.

If that is the case, 2025 is likely a bridge year when it comes to competing at the highest level. That may also mean that 2026 isn't necessarily their strongest swing at things either. And if those things are the case, we may see some of the veteran stars on this roster consider asking to be elsewhere instead of enduring this rebuild of sorts. Bob Nightengale dropped this morning that the Cardinals are interested in shopping Sonny Gray this offseason, and the tidbits don't stop there.

In Katie Woo's terrific piece over at The Athletic (subscription required), she included a little tidbit about how Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Sonny Gray all came to St. Louis under the impression that they would be playing for a competitive team. While there have not been reports yet of any of the three wanting to leave St. Louis, I do find it interesting how pointed Willson Contreras was with his comments regarding the front office following their final home game last Sunday.

All three of these names should be watched over the coming months in regards to a trade for various reasons, as well as closer Ryan Helsley, who just set the franchise record for saves in a single season and is going into a contract year this offseason.

Today I wanted to look ahead toward what kinds of teams could be interested in each of these veterans, as well as what kind of return the Cardinals could even expect in a deal, should they desire to be moved.