St. Louis Cardinals should approach the 2025 trade deadline using this strategy

2025 has been a very fun season for the young and hungry St. Louis Cardinals. But if memory recalls, this team was not projected to have fun this season. In what was marketed as a retool season for the roster, the team gave the runway to young players to play every day to develop here in St Louis instead of shuffling around in the system. But the "youngry" Redbirds proved that they were slept on and disrespected, and now in June, the Cardinals find themselves in the Wild Card hunt. So, given that the team is aiming towards the future but showcasing a winning product in 2025, how do they approach the deadline? The answer is combining the strategies used in 2023 and 2024.

2023 trade deadline

Everyone remembers the nightmare season. Even with the disdain it brought to fans and the organization, it was a major learning moment within all of Cardinals history. This season was the cumulation of Mozeliak's expiration as the POBO and eventually led to him announcing 2025 being his last season.One thing to give credit to Mozeliak for is how he handled the trade deadline being a first-time seller. Waiving the white flag on the season in July is very rare air in St. Louis, but Mozeliak held conviction and announced it to the baseball world. He understood that this team was not coming back from this and he needed to shift his focus into improving the future product on the field. With expiring contracts able to be dealt, Mozeliak got busy with his fire sale.

Paul DeJong, Jordan Hicks, Jack Flaherty, and Jordan Montgomery were all traded with the main focus to resupply the farm system with potential. Two years later, it looks like Mozeliak accomplished just that. Notable names acquired in these trades were Tekoah Roby, Thomas Saggese, and Matt Svanson. Roby, who was recently promoted to Memphis, looks to be a potential front-line starter in St. Louis. Saggese has been a fan favorite when playing in St. Louis, and fans want him called up. Svanson has been shifted around Memphis and St. Louis but looks to be an effective reliever for the bullpen going forward.

The Cardinals can accomplish this yet again in 2025. They have several potential trade pieces that they can deal to get prospect overhauls. All-Star closer Ryan Helsley is the most notable name who would bring back the biggest package of any trade asset in the recent decade. With every contending team looking to acquire a highly effective back-end bullpen arm at the deadline, Helsley will be a very hot commodity. Pitching remains the theme, as the veterans of the team make up the pitching staff. Steven Matz and Erick Fedde could also be potentially shopped at the deadline. Matz will be viewed as a hybrid pitcher where he can be used as a starter or reliever, given the perspective of a contending team and what their bigger desired need is.

Regardless, anytime a pitcher displays the talent to be effective in both roles, that will garner attention from teams who are aggressive to reach October. Fedde will provide much value in return, given that he is still a highly effective starter. Knowing we dealt Tommy Edman to acquire him still hurts, but let's not act like Fedde is not a reliable starter every fifth day. He has posted a 1.3 WAR with a 3.65 ERA and 1.278 WHIP over 79 IP in 2025. He was acquired on a cheap contract, which already gives the Cardinals the return on their investment, and will only increase their equity when a contending team will deal 2-3 young prospects to acquire him.