These are the 5 most likely Cardinals to be traded

These 5 St. Louis Cardinals are the most likely to be traded by this trade deadline

There is not a whole lot of excitement currently in Cardinals Nation. We have the London Series underway which brings the team onto the national and global stage. With the current state of the organization, this might not be a good thing. But one thing for sure is the talent on the field will be on full display. Other teams will be keeping a close eye on the games to see if any players catch their attention. Trade season is around the corner and the stove is pre-heated. Here are five St. Louis Cardinals players that are most likely to be traded for an impending reset for the organization:

Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty is slowly working to get back to his 2019 self. The pitching staff as a whole has been subpar for the Cardinals, but Jack has shown promise to get back to where he once was. He is still trying to control his high walk rate, but he is missing barrels when in control. The problem with Jack is keeping control, as batters are showing high xBA against him. Once he gets his confidence back, he will be controlling the pace of the game.

With 2023 being the last year before he hits FA, do the Cardinals keep giving Jack a shot to return to his former self? They can attempt to sign him long-term, but knowing his injury history and the underlying data going against him, it is best to shop Jack at the trade deadline. Not many teams are offering SP and desperate teams pushing to contend for the postseason will overpay significantly for SP. The perfect fit for Jack Flaherty is a return home to LA. The Dodgers are needing to replace injured arms to stay in the race, and they have rolled the dice on pitchers looking for a resurgence.

Jordan Hicks

Jordan Hicks has finally figured out his game. This is the best we have ever seen him. So why trade him? Like stated before, you can replace bullpen arms easier than any other position on the roster. The track record shows Hicks being a mediocre reliever with elite velocity. He has been in STL since 2018 and took 5 years to craft his game. As exciting as it is to see him dominate in the closer role, is it sustainable?

Capitalizing on the inflated reliever market is an opportunity you do not want to waste. Tampa Bay and the Mets are good fits to add bullpen help.

Jordan Montgomery

The Harrison Bader-Jordan Montgomery trade has worked out perfectly for both the Yankees and the Cardinals. Fans would love to see Montgomery extended, showing how steady his outings are. He is the ideal Cardinal “pitch to the hitter” approach. Very strong BB%, strong hard hit%, and average exit velocity, but weak K% and xBA, Barrel%, and whiff%.

Along with Flaherty, Montgomery is in a walk year and is expected to test FA to secure a long-term lucrative contract. Seeing that the Cardinals didn’t extend Jose Quintana after 2022, it seems reasonable they will not be aggressive in bringing Montgomery back. This sets up another available arm for the trade deadline. Expect many teams to be calling for Montgomery's services. Baltimore is the team to watch here.

Dylan Carlson

I talked about Dylan Carlson being traded at the trade deadline, and I am going to echo this belief. The only outfielder with doubt to be traded is Lars Nootbaar. Everyone else is an open game. Out of the list of Carlson, O’Neill, Burleson, Yepez, and the utility players of Donovan and Edman playing outfield, Carlson carries the most value.

He has exceptional range playing in CF and has one of the best-throwing arms in the game. He is still a great hitter when facing lefties and can be used in platoon matchups for good teams with roster depth. Batting vs RHP and pitch recognition have been the bruises exposed to Carlson's game. The Cardinals have shown a short leash on Carlson for years which displays a lack of confidence in Carlson being an everyday player.

This has the potential of being the next traded OFer backfiring for the Cardinals. Better go get a good starting pitcher if you are willing to make the same mistakes over and over Mozeliak and Girsch. The Guardians and the Mariners are strong favorites to land position players, especially outfielders.