2024 is not off to a good start for the Cardinals. They entered their four-game weekend series against the Brewers six games below the .500 mark and six games back of first in the NL Central.
If 2023 is any indication, then we know how the story ends. Hint: it’s not pretty. But if the Cardinals keep struggling this badly, it’s a very real possibility that they will be sellers at the trade deadline, just like last year.
I thought that last year the Cardinals should have traded Paul Goldschmidt while his value was high to see what they could get for him. It could have given them some quality pieces in return.
But with Goldschmidt struggling, it’s highly unlikely that any team will actually want him, especially given his age and that he’s in the final year of his contract. So, if 2024 continues to go south, might the Cardinals consider trading Nolan Arenado?
Will Cardinals consider trading Nolan Arenado?
Now, I know what everybody is probably thinking. It doesn’t make sense to trade Arenado, right?
Well, it does if the Cardinals aren’t going for it. The direction of the club isn’t clear, but it might be time for the Cardinals to actually hit the reset button.
The mistake the Cardinals made last year was not hitting the reset button and selling high on big pieces. That’s something they’re going to have to do if they’re not in contention this year, and I think trading Arenado would make sense if that is the case.
Like I said, the Cardinals could get some very intriguing young players for him. Derrick Goold mentioned Ryan Helsley as a trade possibility if the Cardinals are sellers again and compared a possible trade to what the Yankees did in 2016, trading off assets at the deadline.
Goold also noted that the Yankees were quick to rebuild after that. Punting on 2016 gave the Yankees a chance to look at some of their younger players and speed up the rebuilding process. By 2017, they were back in the postseason.
I think we could see a similar scenario if the Cardinals sell this year. Helsley is a guy they could sell high on, but Arenado is too.
As of now, it seems as though the Cardinals haven’t made up their minds on whether or not they want to contend or rebuild. They’re stuck in the middle. It’s clear to me that they’re not going for it this year, but they also are hesitant to rebuild.
In my opinion, if they aren’t fully committed to winning, they should do what the Yankees did and not be stuck in the middle anymore. Unfortunately, this may include trading Arenado.
The Cardinals shouldn’t have a complete fire sale, but more than anything, Arenado deserves to go somewhere where he can win. Right now, St. Louis doesn’t appear to be that place. But if the Cardinals can get some really solid Major League ready pieces back in return, they could quickly shift their focus to 2025 and try and build for the future.
It may be time to hit the reset button and start the process of creating the next great Cardinals team. There will still be solid pieces intact, and the Cardinals could also have some extra money to spend next offseason for better players.