Ranking the Cardinals' 7 most valuable trade assets they can sell at the deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals should be preparing to sell at this year's trade deadline, but how valuable are the assets that could be up for grabs?

The Cardinals don't need to go overboard with selling pieces from their roster, as a large chunk of their big league roster could be a part of their young core moving forward. Expiring assets should for sure be up for grabs, but there are some players with team control that could be interesting to shop as well.

Today, I want to rank the assets that the Cardinals could (and should) be shopping at the trade deadline over the next week and a half. I'm not saying all of these players will be traded, but they are all names that I could possibly see moved before the deadline passes. I'm also not including names that I just do not see the Cardinals shopping, so if a name is missing that you were looking for, I highly doubt that player is moved.

Here are the six most valuable Cardinals trade chips that they can sell at the trade deadline

Wild Cards: Jordan Walker/Nolan Gorman

I'm not sure the Cardinals would actually be ready to shop either of Jordan Walker or Nolan Gorman at this year's trade deadline, but if they did, I have a really difficult time knowing how to value them in a potential trade.

Walker is just a few years removed from a very encouraging rookie year, where he was 16% above league average at the plate as just a 21-year-old. But the former top 10 prospect in all of baseball now looks completely lost at the plate, posting a .554 OPS in his runway season. The Cardinals don't seem to know what to do with Walker right now, and maybe the best thing for him is a change of scenery.

Nolan Gorman, on the other hand, has looked a lot more comfortable at the plate this summer, but he still hasn't quite earned himself a major role on the roster either. Even before he landed on the injured list this weekend with a back injury, he was struggling to get into the lineup consistently. With all the options they have for second base, third base, and designated hitter right now, that problem may remain for at least the remainder of the year.

The Cardinals could look to shop either of them to help clear up one of those logjams, but only with the blessing of Chaim Bloom. I personally doubt they'd move Gorman now that he has this injury and with the intrigue he's shown this summer, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they parted ways with Walker at this point.

7. Erick Fedde

At this point, the Cardinals would be lucky to get anything for Erick Fedde at this trade deadline, but they seem prepared to wait things out and see if they can squeeze any value out of him.

During the offseason, teams were interested in acquiring Fedde because of how productive he had been in 2024 and the very affordable $7.5 million contract he is on. Fedde posted a 3.30 ERA in 31 starts last year, covering 177.1 innings of work. His xERA (3.91) and FIP (3.86) were solid marks as well, and Fedde really appeared to be a transformed pitcher from his time in Korea.

The Cardinals should have taken advantage of that value during the winter, but instead, they held onto him, and it really has backfired.

In 19 starts for St. Louis this year, Fedde has a 4.83 ERA, averaging about five innings per start, striking out just 13.5% of the batters he faces, and walking a career-high 10.7% of those hitters as well. Even while allowing just a .279 BABIP, he still has a 5.68 xERA and 4.95 FIP, showing just how far of a fall-off he has had.

Fedde may get a start or two before the deadline hits, and if he's able to stabilize a bit, maybe he'll be someone that a contender wants just to cover innings down the stretch. If not, I guess I could see a team take a flier on him for a bare minimum return so the Cardinals can move off of his remaining salary and make room for Michael McGreevy to start.

Otherwise, Fedde is a likely DFA candidate when the deadline passes, as he no longer serves a purpose on this roster other than trying to bring the Cardinals back value. The Cardinals would just cross their fingers that someone picks up his salary, and if not, oh well.

I really don't see Fedde being worth anything by the time the deadline is here next Thursday, and that is such a shame. Much of the fanbase could see that coming from a mile away. But between now and July 31st, those same fans should be hoping Fedde goes out and shoves every time he takes the mound, and it is the only way he can muster any value for the club in a deal.

6. Nolan Arenado

I don't actually think Nolan Arenado will be moved at this trade deadline, but I still think he is worth including on the list, as I am sure the Cardinals would love to move him and clear the way for their young bats and finally get off as much of his contract as they can.

In some sense, the amount of money the Cardinals would have to eat on a deal would actually make him less valuable than Fedde, but the Cardinals can probably get something for Arenado in a deal after eating some of the contract, which I don't think we can really say about Fedde at this point.

On the season, Arenado is slashing .243/.302/.383 with 10 home runs, with a 91 wRC+ that leaves so much to be desired at the plate. Any team targeting Arenado would need to have real hope that he can turn things around at the plate, as his defense is great, but not so great that you'd want to pay him that kind of money and only get below league-average production at the plate.

Trading Arenado gets really tricky with his no-trade clause. Both Arenado and a team would have to be interested in each other for a deal to take place. Do the Los Angeles Dodgers jump in with uncertainty around Max Muncy? Do the New York Yankees try to fill their void at third base with Arenado? Isaac Parades looks to be out for a significant amount of time, so would Arenado reconsider the Houston Astros? Would he open his list up to a contender like the Detroit Tigers?

Who knows if any of those teams would be interested? And as of right now, we have no idea if Arenado would even be open to moving at this deadline. He may want to stay in St. Louis or just prefer to cross this bridge again when the offseason comes.

For St. Louis, though, they should be extremely motivated to get a deal done. First, moving Arenado clears playing time for young players, and they really need to make that happen. Second, with his continued regression, they won't want to be stuck with his full contract the next two seasons, especially when they need to get JJ Wetherholt a spot soon. And third, for the casual fan, trading Arenado is going to be an unpopular move, so making that a Mozeliak decision rather than Bloom having to shoulder the full blame would be wise from a PR perspective.

5. Steven Matz

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are getting calls from teams around the league on Steven Matz, with both New York teams, especially the Mets, expressing interest in acquiring the Cardinals lefty.

Matz has been money for the Cardinals this year in a variety of roles, which probably came as a surprise to many fans after how rocky the first three years went. Matz has remained healthy all year, something he was unable to do during the first three years of his contract, and has done so to the tune of a 3.35 ERA in 26 relief appearances and two starts.

Teams may view Matz as a starter, high-leverage left-handed reliever, swingman, multi-inning reliever, or all of the above. That is a very valuable commodity to have going down the stretch, and while he won't be one of the most valuable pieces moved at the deadline among all 30 teams, he will bring back real value if the Cardinals shop him.

Matz's $12.5 million salary prorated for the rest of the year is a modest price to pay for a veteran starter and not bad value for a dynamic reliever either. Considering every contender is going to likely want to add both bullpen help and rotation support, Matz should be in high demand.

Even though I think the Cardinals have a few pieces they could sell that are more valuable than Matz, his resurgence this year cannot be overlooked, and I do think he's someone that brings the Cardinals back an interesting piece or two. Matz's xERA (3.05) and FIP (2.93) indicate that his success on the mound has been real, and that is thanks in large part to his strikeout percentage rebounding this year, while his walk percentage and home run to fly ball rate have both dropped.

Had the Cardinals traded Matz during the offseason, they likely would not have gotten much in return. He is an example of someone who made a lot of sense to hold onto this year, as Matz has been able to rebuild his trade value to become an interesting piece at this year's deadline. Yes, he's been a huge reason why the Cardinals' pitching has been stable at different points in the year, but now it is time to cash in on him as a trade asset.

4. Phil Maton

Signed by the Cardinals for just $2 million this offseason, Phil Maton has been one of the best free agent signings of this past offseason, and the Cardinals would be foolish not to flip him for real value at this year's deadline.

Sporting a 2.55 ERA and 2.52 FIP in 35.1 innings, Maton has been dynamite out of the Cardinals' bullpen, consistently coming through in huge spots as the Cardinals surged for most of the summer. Without Maton, the Cardinals would have blown a lot more games, and other contenders are likely licking their chops at the idea of him helping them lock down games over the stretch run.

Maton saw his K% take a major step up this year, jumping from 22.6% in 2024 to 30.4% this season, the highest mark of his career since the 2020 campaign. His breaking ball run value and fastball run value are both positive this year, and he's among the top 6% of pitchers in baseball in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity allowed, Whiff%, K%, Barrel%, and Hard-Hit% while also inducing ground balls at a well above-average rate.

If I'm being honest, if I were a contender, I would much rather acquire Phil Maton than Ryan Helsley this year, and I'll get to why later, but it doesn't seem like the industry (or at least national media) sees that the same. If I were being honest, I would have Helsley and Maton flip-flopped on this list, but I am making this based on what I think the Cardinals would get in return, not who I think should be valued higher.

Still, I do think Maton is someone teams are going to covet and would get the Cardinals a nice prospect in return. Teams aren't stupid; they see how successful Maton has been this year, and they'll want him in their bullpen. With how many teams will be searching to upgrade their bullpen, there should be a large market for Maton, and the Cardinals must take advantage if they want to turn their A+ offseason signing into an A++ move all around.

Even if the Cardinals really like Maton and want to have him in their bullpen next year, they should still trade him and look to sign him when the offseason rolls around. Failing to capitalize on his trade value now would be a major mistake.

3. JoJo Romero

This name may surprise a few people, but considering how volatile relievers tend to be, the Cardinals should shop JoJo Romero at the trade deadline and take an offer if they get a good one.

Since becoming a Cardinal back in 2022, Romero has been one of the more dependable relievers in all of baseball, even with some of the rough stretches he has had. Out of the 116 relievers in baseball to throw at least 120 innings since 2023, Romero ranks 44th in ERA and 47th in FIP. If you break that down further to just left-handed relievers, Romero's 3.24 ERA over that stretch actually ranks 13th out of the 34 lefties who qualify, and his 3.46 FIP ranks 12th.

In 2025, Romero has appeared in 36 games for the Cardinals, posting a 2.45 ERA while allowing opposing hitters to hit just .213 against him thus far. Romero doesn't strike out the world, but he knows how to get outs and does not allow home runs. Everyone can use bullpen help, and even more so from the left side when considering some of the big-time left-handed bats teams will have to match up against in the postseason.

While Maton has certainly been the better reliever this year, Romero has an extra year of club control, entering his third and final year of arbitration this offseason. This would make him even more appealing and valuable in a trade for an opposing club, which is exactly why the Cardinals should be looking to shop him.

Would moving Romero bring the Cardinals back some insane return? Probably not, unless the player turns out to outperform whatever the team moving them ever expected, but the possibility of turning Romero and his one and a half years of control remaining into a prospect or two who would have six years of club control makes a lot of sense. That player could be a part of the Cardinals' success in future seasons or even be a piece they use to make a move in the future.

As we saw with Ryan Helsley this year, there is no guarantee that a reliever will continue their success year over year, and I would say that is even more so the case with Romero. See what the market is offering, and if it's worthwhile to Bloom, make the move.

2. Ryan Helsley

I personally don't see why Ryan Helsley would be this valuable still, but national media continues to believe that he could net the Cardinals' real assets if he were dealt at this trade deadline, and so I'm going to play into their narrative with this for now, even though I myself am not convinced that is true.

At worst, Helsley is still a valuable reliever teams would want, but the production this year has not matched up with the name value or track record. Even so, I'm guessing there are teams out there that believe if they can get their hands on Helsley, they can get him back to himself. And if that's true, then yes, he's definitely a super valuable trade chip at this deadline.

In 33 games, Helsley has posted a 3.27 ERA, sporting his lowest K% since 2022 and allowing a career-high batting average to opposing hitters of .254. His 1.42 WHIP is the highest of his career since 2021, and the underlying metrics aren't pretty, either.

Despite pumping a 99th percentile fastball velocity in 2025, Helsley's fastball run value is worth -6 this year, ranking in the 13th percentile. It's a super hittable pitch right now, as opposing hitters have a .419 batting average against it and .548 SLG. Yup, you read that right!

His slider has actually rebounded after being a bit shaky to start the year. While he doesn't always locate it how he wants to, it has been nasty, allowing just a .083 batting average and .150 slugging percentage this year, and both are career bests. If there is a team out there that believes they can fix Helsley's fastball, he's going to be a money closer again.

Even with the struggles this year, Helsley is still one of the best pitchers in baseball at getting opposing hitters to chase and does not allow many barrels. That has allowed him to dance out of danger more often than not, and that can help him get by, even when his stuff is failing him.

I'm a huge fan of Helsley's game and would love to see him be a force on the mound again soon. I highly doubt the Cardinals are the team to give him a long-term contract this summer, so capitalizing on his trade value now makes all of the sense in the world.

1. Lars Nootbaar

This feels like more of an offseason conversation, but if a "baseball trade" were to become available that Chaim Bloom is interested in, I could see Lars Nootbaar's name being attached to such a deal.

Last year, the Cardinals traded Tommy Edman to acquire Erick Fedde, and I could see them exploring a similar path with Nootbaar being the centerpiece of a package for a starting pitcher with team control. This kind of trade is becoming more and more common at these trade deadlines, where even teams that are selling will also consider flipping players for other big league talent that can help them in future years.

Even with how rough things have been for Nootbaar this year, he's still been 4% above league average at the plate and has mostly stayed healthy this year. The Cardinals' young core seems to be taking shape without him, at least in my opinion, and there are other contenders out there who need and would value Nootbaar's production that the Cardinals can approximate through other players on their roster.

Nootbaar has been a well above league-average hitter for his career heading into 2025. From 2022-2024, Nootbaar had a 118 wRC+ and .777 OPS, with his main issue being his inability to stay on the field. He's always been the Statcast darling, but he wasn't just that. His 118 wRC+ over that is tied for 58th among the 230 qualified hitters, putting him in the top 25% of hitters in wRC+.

No, he's not a middle-of-the-order bat that is going to carry a team, but when Nootbaar is right, he's a bat that can make a big difference on a contender. Over the last few years, the Cardinals' lineup as a whole has struggled to find any kind of consistency, and I have a strong feeling that if Nootbaar finds himself on a team where he's not expected to carry the load, he's going to produce much closer to 20% above league average or better, rather than the closer to league average hitter he's been this year.

With two years of control remaining, Nootbaar would be a coveted piece if he's made available, and like Helsley, I am sure there are teams out there who believe they could get the best out of Nootbaar if he were on their club.

The Cardinals do not need to force a Nootbaar trade at this deadline, but it certainly would help clear some of the clutter from their roster as they look to commit to a core and prepare for the arrival of JJ Wetherholt. With Alec Burleson firmly in the mix for corner outfield playing time and Ivan Herrera expected to get reps there soon, it feels like the Cardinals are preparing for life after Nootbaar.

If the Cardinals can find pitching they like for the future and can use Nootbaar and some other pieces to go get it, they should let Bloom consider that between now and July 31st.