The St. Louis Cardinals Should Blow It Up- Here’s Why

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments this year, as they sit at an NL worst, 29-43. Since 2000, the Cardinals have only had one losing season (2007), thus, this is uncharted territory for many of the Cardinals front office and fanbase. While many fans may still want to cling on to some of their players, the time to sell has never been better, as with the expanded playoff format and large number of teams sitting near .500, player values are inflated.

While I don’t believe that the Cardinals will fully blow it up (nor should they) at this deadline, trading away some of their more valuable players for young pieces to help them in the future should certainly be on the cards. In this blog, I will discuss 3 potential trade candidates from the Cardinals and the potential returns they may bring.

1B Paul Goldschmidt:

Goldschmidt is arguably the best player on the Cardinals, and he has followed up his 2022 MVP campaign with another all-star year, as he has a .858 OPS and a 138 wRC+. Though his numbers are a little bit down from last season, he is still one of the best first baseman in the league.

In order to find the best comparison of a Goldschmidt trade at this deadline, look no further than 2021, when the New York Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Alexander Vizcaíno and OF Kevin Alacántara. While Rizzo has never won any MVPs, they remain the most comparable as they play the same position and both of their contracts will end/ended in 1 ½ years.

The Cubs were able to bring in a young pitching prospect, and Alcántara, the 71st ranked prospect in the league according to MLB.com. Because Goldschmidt is in even more demand than Rizzo, as he is having a better season than Rizzo did in 2021 (.788 OPS, 113 wRC+), the Cardinals may be able to bring in multiple top 100 prospects to the team.

RHP Jack Flaherty:

On paper, Flaherty has been unimpressive this season. He has a 4.33 FIP and has given up the highest BABIP of his career (.343). However, he is still young at 27 years old, and teams may be willing to take a chance on him and hope that he reverts back to his 2021 and 2019 forms.

Thus, the most comparable trade for Flaherty came in 2022, when the Philadelphia Phillies acquired RHP Noah Syndergaard from the Anaheim Angels in exchange for OF Mickey Moniak and OF Jadiel Sánchez. Though Syndergaard was a bit better than Flaherty at this time last season (3.94 ERA, 3.83 FIP), Flaherty may be able to garner a similar amount of value due to the large number of teams in the middle of the postseason race looking for help in the starting pitching department.

The trade has panned out well for the Angels, as the former first overall pick Moniak has developed into a key contributor, posting a .975 OPS with a 164 wRC+. While Jadiel Sánchez has had an up and down start to his professional career, he is still only 21, and may be able to one day develop into a quality MLB ballplayer,

Like Syndergaard, Flaherty will only be a ½ year rental, but with many teams in need of pitching depth, his value may surpass that of Syndergaard’s last season.

RHP Jordan Hicks:

Jordan Hicks was once thought to be a key contributor in the Cardinals bullpen for many years to come, but injuries have derailed the 26 year old’s career. This season, Hicks has a 4.30 ERA, and a 3.34 FIP, and while not great, teams may be willing to take a chance on the young flamethrower.

In 2021, the Astros acquired Yimi Garcia from the Marlins for RHP Austin Pruitt and OF Bryan De La Cruz. In 2021, Garcia had a 4.21 ERA, but also a 3.88 FIP. The Marlins were able to acquire Pruitt, who has been a solid contributor in the A’s bullpen (3.60 ERA), and De La Cruz, who has emerged as a staple in the middle of the Marlins lineup for many years to come (.752 OPS, 107 wRC+).

With Hicks still only being 26 and having a better season than Garcia, the Cardinals may be able to acquire even more value than the Marlins did for Garcia. With Hicks being a free agent after this season, the Cardinals may look to ship him off to his next team.

By parting ways with these 3 players, the Cardinals will be able to kickstart their retooling process and make it back to the postseason soon.