Why the Cardinals must avoid a panic trade at the deadline

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has indicated the Cardinals' situation remains "fluid" as the trade deadline approaches. But that doesn't mean Mozeliak needs to make a panic move to find the perfect deal for the club.

This will be Mozeliak's final deadline as president of baseball operations. Messing this deadline up could tarnish his reputation and make things extremely difficult for incoming president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom.

The Cardinals could make things even harder for Chaim Bloom with a poor trade deadline

The team is reportedly shopping Phil Maton, Steven Matz, Ryan Helsley, and Erick Fedde due to expiring contracts at the end of the season. Might as well shop them now and try to get something decent in return.

The team has a glut of players in certain positions, and they may be shopped as well. This could be where things could get tricky for Mozeliak. Fans want the team to acquire players who can help now and make things interesting and exciting for seasons to come. Bloom would also like that help.

The team needs a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher to help with consistency, innings, and strikeouts. Another need comes in the bullpen. A right-handed bat as a possible catcher due to the reliance on two back-up catchers, as Ivan Herrera has faced injuries all season and is now being used as the team's designated hitter.

Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Miles Mikolas would have to approve any trade. Gray and Contreras have indicated previously that they want to stay with the Cardinals. Arenado is expected to be asked again about a trade location this week.

Arenado declined a trade to Houston in the offseason after the club traded Kyle Tucker, which indicated an understandable concern about what he would be getting into. Arenado also seems to enjoy working with hitting coach Brant Brown. The coach seemed to be putting in some work with him on Monday evening as the two were seen talking in the dugout after every at-bat. Arenado was 2-for-4 with a walk. He scored two runs in the Cardinals' 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Mikolas has not recently expressed what he would do if a trade were offered. Following recent appearances, it would be difficult to see a good return, if any, for Mikolas. He is 5-7 with a 5.20 ERA. In his last start against the Diamondbacks, he pitched four innings, giving up four hits, five earned runs, and two walks in the loss. He needs to be dropped from the rotation, as Michael McGreevy is ready to be a permanent fixture in the rotation. This could also be achieved with the Cardinals trading Fedde, who has also performed poorly in recent outings. He is 3-9 with a 4.83 ERA. Much like Mikolas, he isn't likely to net a good return. However, it is worth considering offers.

Regarding the looming trade deadline, Katie J. Woo of The Athletic said, " ... Mozeliak will not sell simply for the sake of doing so. Capitalizing on returns and bolstering talent for the future remains imperative for any potential trade candidate."

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Cardinals move on from some of the AAA Memphis pieces, such as Luken Baker, Matt Koperniak, or Michael Siani, to acquire more talent.

According to Woo, the situation will remain "fluid" through the actual deadline. This indicates that Mozeliak won't make a panic move; instead, he will be his usual measured and methodical self. He wants to leave on a good note and keep the ship running smoothly for Bloom.

Mozeliak doesn't have to do anything desperate. He just needs to do something good. There are several options available and Mozeliak promises to keep an open mind with the future of the team in mind. That's all fans can hope for in his last deadline.