The Cardinals have the pieces to own the MLB trade deadline if things go south

Nobody wants to be a seller at the MLB trade deadline. It's a necessary evil if your organization needs to look toward the future, but in an ideal world, your favorite team is always in a position to buy and make a playoff push.

Now, if you do end up needing to sell at a trade deadline, the dream scenario is becoming the "one-stop shop" for every top-of-the-market need. Rarely does this happen, but if a team can offer one of the best bats, starters, and relievers at the deadline, it builds them an incredible amount of leverage and the potential to prop up their farm system significantly in a matter of days.

The St. Louis Cardinals may find themselves in that position come July.

I've been pretty vocal about the fact I believe this Cardinals team has a wide range of outcomes — and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak seems to agree. If more things go right than wrong, the Cardinals could be in the playoff hunt come July and shooting for another 80+ win season, potentially even a division title. But if the young bats don't come alive, the bullpen regresses, or injuries catch the wrong names, the Cardinals could be a bottom-feeder in 2025.

Should the Cardinals be out of the playoff race by the end of July, they may be ready to run the market on the biggest needs that postseason hopefuls could have.

The Cardinals may end up having the best trade assets at this year's trade deadline.

Need a starting pitcher who can start big games in October? Let me show you Sonny Gray. Need a lockdown closer? Who better than Ryan Helsley? Want a middle-of-the-order bat? Willson Contreras is ready to step in. Ready to steady your rotation for the rest of the regular season and October? Erick Fedde fits the bill. Want one of the best defensive third basemen in the game who is motivated to win and let his bat rebound? Nolan Arenado may be willing to waive his no-trade clause.

Mozeliak himself alluded to the potential of circling back with guys like Contreras and Gray in July if the team performs poorly in 2025. When asked by 101 ESPN about how conversations with Gray, Contreras, Arenado, and Miles Mikolas went this offseason, Mozeliak presented that potential scenario:

"I didn't really go to Mikolas. He's in his final year, he lives here in Jupiter. I mean, I think part of why he signed with the Cardinals was because of that, so I didn't feel like that was something that I had to go down that path. Now, if things don't work out for the Cardinals as we get into the season, then, you know, we may ask people how do they want to think about it at the trading deadline. But between now and then, we hope we go win some baseball games." (Bold and italics added for emphasis.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the fact they didn't trade Helsley or especially Fedde before spring training. Recent reports indicate that Fedde is someone they could look to move soon if they get the kind of offer that they want. But if the Cardinals do hold on to all of these assets leading up to the deadline, they could be positioned to make a splash and set up Chaim Bloom even further for the future.

Now, if you haven't already been thinking about this yourself, that will be a tricky needle to thread for the organization. If the club is really that bad come July, it may mean that some of those veterans got hurt or are struggling on the field, which means their trade value won't be the same. It could also mean that the young bats and arms they are hoping to see perform well this year flop, which is a very bad sign for the future. But if these veterans are playing well and the young guys are producing, they probably won't sell. The club would also need the approval of Gray, Contreras, and Arenado specifically to trade any of that trio, so that does complicate things a bit as well.

Still, there is a world where the best starting pitcher available in trades in Sonny Gray, the best reliever is Ryan Helsely, the best bat is Willson Contreras, the best all-around position player is Nolan Arenado, and Erick Fedde would probably be one of the best starters available as well. Given the new playoff format, there are way more buyers than sellers, meaning the supply is often low and the demand is very high.

It is a risky game to play if you're the Cardinals, but it's one that could pay off in a major way if the stars align.

Aside from the risk they've run by not trading away some of these assets (specifically Fedde and Helsley) before the season because of potential injuries, bad performances, or now the loss of a potential qualifying offer for teams acquiring those players, I also think we can all agree the organization is likely going to stop themselves from the best case version of this world from occurring.

If the young bats and pitchers come alive and those assets I listed are performing well, the Cardinals could still trade those veterans to revamp their system while doubling down on the young core that is ascending. But we all know they won't do that. Not only is that a trainwreck waiting to happen when looking at team chemistry, but it's also not something I see Mozeliak or ownership endorsing when they want to "surprise" people. So, in theory, the only way they capitalize on value at this deadline is if something goes really wrong, which is a frustrating way to play with this organization's future.

For now, that just remains a semi-distant scenario to keep your eye on when considering the future of the club. Only time will tell which direction they will be heading in.