Making cases for the Cardinals to buy, sell, or float in the middle at the deadline

The case to be buyers

Everyone loves winning!

That's the crux of it. If the St. Louis Cardinals are true buyers at this deadline, they can land some serious stars. Jesus Luzardo (2.5 years of team control), Luis Robert Jr. (3.5 years of team control), and Garrett Crochet (2.5 years of team control) have all been listed as players who are extremely likely to be traded by their respective teams this year. Each of those guys would be a difference-maker with the Cardinals.

If the Cardinals were to be buyers and successfully land one of these studs, the outlook of the roster, both now and later, becomes much brighter. Even if they don't want to challenge major organizations for these stars, there are still plenty of secondary players who could make a difference. Jordan Montgomery, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Erick Fedde would all be beneficial to the team.

The Cardinals are easily within striking distance of a playoff spot, especially when looking at the Wild Card. The Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Arizona Diamondbacks are all muddled within 2 games of each other in the standings. A couple of moves at the deadline would easily set the Cardinals ahead of the others.

If the Brewers falter, which they have been lately, the Cardinals could even lock up home-field advantage in the first round via a division crown.

Being sellers for the second year in a row will deflate an already suppressed fanbase. Attendance has fallen on average by nearly 3,000 people per game. A second consecutive year of waving the white flag in July would surely extinguish all hope that's left. Being buyers would send a message to the fans that this organization sees 2023 as a blip rather than the start of a trend.

The case to float in the middle

For years, this has seemed like the route the Cardinals have taken. John Mozeliak has often shied away from trading for big-name players like Juan Soto, David Price, and Max Scherzer. Mozeliak and his operatives love their prospects, and the market they operate in hinders them financially with some deadline trades.

Rather than making these big splashes, John Mozeliak has opted to make trades on the margins. The core of the roster has been sound for over 2 decades now; adding a reliever or two here and a bench piece there has allowed the front office to keep its beloved prospects while not hampering the major league roster.

In 2021, the Cardinals acquired J.A. Happ and Jon Lester. Neither was a frontline starter, but they both provided value down the stretch. In 2022, the Cardinals traded for Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana. Neither was amazing for their previous organizations, but both were exceptional for the Cardinals, particularly Jordan Montgomery.

These are the types of moves fans are accustomed to seeing from John Mozeliak. If this is the approach the Cardinals take at this year's deadline, fans can expect the team to maintain its current state and possibly exceed the precious 86-win mark that is often needed to make the playoffs. Players like Paul Blackburn, Tyler Anderson, Tanner Scott, and Tommy Pham would be players who could be acquired if the organization chooses this approach. Those are all very serviceable players, and they won't cost much in prospect (or financial) capital to acquire.

This approach will allow the organization to keep prized prospects like Tink Hence, Victor Scott II, and Thomas Saggese. It also won't hamper the cohesion that seems to be present on the major league roster. This approach isn't necessarily the most sexy, but it sure is the most prudent.

The case to be sellers

The Cardinals have plenty of players who would be appealing to contenders. Ryan Helsley, Paul Goldschmidt, JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, Nolan Arenado, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and even Sonny Gray have all had their names mentioned at least once as candidates. Obviously, not all of these players will be dealt this year, but it's possible 3-5 of them are if the team commits to selling.

The main benefit to being sellers would be prospect replenishment. The Cardinals have a farm system that ranks between 15th and 20th according to most outlets. Only Tink Hence, Victor Scott II, and Thomas Saggese are on the top-100 list according to MLB.com, and Hence is the only one in the top 50. Dealing any of the aforementioned players, especially Ryan Helsley and Sonny Gray, would net multiple top-100 prospects in baseball in return.

Being sellers will allow the team to get a return for players who are on expiring contracts like Paul Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Andrew Kittredge. Rather than losing these players and getting nothing in return during the offseason, the Cardinals can at least garner a minor leaguer with some upside as reimbursement.

Being sellers would excite some fans in a sense. Young prospects like Tink Hence, Sem Robberse, Victor Scott II, and even Quinn Matthews could see greater exposure. The team could lean heavily into a youth movement by providing time for their young position players to shine.

The issue with selling, however, is that fan interest plummets. The team is no longer outwardly competitive, and droves of fans will continue to not show up. Seeing the top level of a baseball franchise put effort forth bleeds down to even the lowly fan. Player morale will also drop, and the work that John Mozeliak did to revamp the clubhouse this offseason gets reset.