Cardinals predicted to potentially embrace fire sale at trade deadline
They haven't decided whether to buy, sell, both, or potentially stand pat. There are certainly several options available to them.
The Cards have plenty of trade chips on expiring contracts, particularly in their bullpen, which includes Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report predicts that when all is said and done, St. Louis could be true sellers in the coming weeks.
"Like Cincinnati, St. Louis squandered a chance to make a move in this crowded NL wild-card picture, breaking even in its six games at home against a pair of teams going nowhere fast. Wilting in the late innings of what was a bullpen game for the Braves on Saturday was the dagger, setting up what might be a 'Loser Embraces a Fire Sale' series with Arizona this weekend," Miller wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Helsley, Matz and Maton could all bring back solid returns for a team that desperately needs more pitching in the farm system to set them up for 2026 and beyond.
They are only 1 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race, but it's clear that their current roster, even if they add to it, is not capable of competing with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and others.
It could be a long second half for the Cardinals, who are starting to show some signs of slowing down. Perhaps this could lead to them unloading some of their expiring contracts.
They will have a new front office next season, so it makes sense to set Chaim Bloom up for success in 2026 and beyond. It will be interesting to see how St. Louis approaches the deadline.
More MLB:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Aaron Glenn was wide awake at 3:30 a.m., ready to begin the process of making Jets' 'pain' go away
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn woke up at 3:30 on the morning of his first training camp practice as the New York Jets ' head coach and couldn't fall back asleep. A text message sent from his wife an hour earlier had a familiar message: 'Just be A.G.' 'And that's who I'm going to be,' a smiling Glenn said after a light practice Wednesday. 'Right, wrong or indifferent, nothing's going to change about how I operate, nothing's going to change about the way that I think. 'But, man, I was excited.' And he has been wide awake since. 'This is something,' he said, 'that I've been waiting on for a long time.' Glenn, who turned 53 last Tuesday, was hired by the Jets in January in a return to the franchise with which he was a star cornerback for the first eight seasons of his 15-year NFL playing career. Thirty-one years after being a rookie player in Jets camp, the longtime assistant coach is now tasked with trying to turn around the fortunes of a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs in 14 seasons, the league's longest active drought. 'Listen, I know the pain,' Glenn said. 'I know all the things that the fans have been through and I know all the things you guys have been through. I might have been gone from here, but I've never been gone in spirit, so I get it. That sticks with me a ton. 'I'm just telling you guys that now, I understand the pain and I'm hoping, I'm praying and I expect to make sure that pain goes away. I think about that every day.' Glenn's most recent coaching gig was overseeing a defense that helped the Detroit Lions rise to one of the NFL's best teams under Dan Campbell. He played for Bill Parcells and coached for Sean Payton and kept meticulous notes, building his own foundation for how he'd do things if and when he ever got the chance to do so. Glenn has focused on changing the culture around the facility. It's an often overused term in football, but after all the losing for so long, the Jets sorely needed it. When he gathered his team Tuesday after the players officially reported for camp, Glenn told them it's a 'one-day mentality' with the knowledge that the Super Bowl is always the ultimate goal. But it starts with the work that's being put in during the hot, muggy days of the next several weeks. 'I've been coached by one of the greatest coaches of all time and I kind of know how it looks and know how it feels when it comes down to being around people who can take me and a team to the highest level,' said defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who played for Nick Saban at Alabama. 'And (Glenn) got every aspect in him. He's got every quote. 'The way he carries himself, I know he's going to be one of the greatest coaches in this league.' That's high praise, but Williams isn't alone. The fact that Glenn was once a star player — he made three Pro Bowls and was selected to the Jets' all-time four-decade team in 2003 — carries a lot of weight with the men he's now leading as a coach. 'For me, it was just getting in front of him, meeting him,' fourth-year wide receiver Garrett Wilson said. 'He's done this thing, he's played at a high level. He's been a Jet before, which for me is like, it's huge, man. ... He can relate. 'And then not to mention, he's seen the blueprint for what it means to take a team that hasn't had much success and turn them into a top of the league, premier team, right? He's seen the blueprint twice or three times. So for me, that's really all I needed to hear.' Glenn and his Jets just need to manifest it all on the field, particularly when they start their season on Sept. 7 at home against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. And maybe Glenn will find some time to sleep before then. 'We have this whole day where we have things we need to get done,' he said. 'So I'm looking forward to every part of every minute of every hour of what we have going on today because it's a day of teaching. And I want to make sure I go through that the right way.' ___ AP NFL:
New York Times
2 minutes ago
- New York Times
Cardinals designate starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment
DENVER — The St. Louis Cardinals have designated right-handed starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment, the team announced Wednesday morning. Fedde, 32, had struggled mightily over his last several starts. In his nine starts since June 1, he logged just 39 1/2 innings and posted a 7.32 ERA, allowing 32 earned runs, 51 hits and 21 walks. Despite those struggles, the Cardinals kept Fedde in the starting rotation, hoping he would be able to turn his performance around and boost potential trade value. Advertisement But the organization reached its reckoning point after Fedde's start on Tuesday, where he allowed six earned runs over three innings against the Colorado Rockies. 'The truth is I've been awful,' Fedde said after Tuesday's game, an 8-4 loss. 'I'm putting the team in terrible spots, giving up runs early, putting our batters in tough spots. Confidence? For sure, all-time low. But I've had lows, I've had highs in this game, and I'm just trying to be professional, show up every day and give it my best. The team deserves better.' With the Cardinals (52-50) clinging onto their season, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expected to make trade deadline decisions in the near future, the club could not justify having Fedde, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the White Sox last July, take another start. '(Fedde) understood it,' Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Wednesday, before St. Louis' series finale against the Rockies. 'He understood that we gave him several starts to try to correct and get on the other side of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't translating into games. He was working hard at it, but he also understands where we are as an organization, and that this opens up a spot for one of the young guys to contribute going forward.' Right-hander Michael McGreevy will slot into the rotation after spending the first half of the season shuffling between Triple A and the majors. He remained with the team after making a spot start against the Rockies on Monday, scattering two runs over seven innings in the Cardinals' 6-2 victory. The expectation is that McGreevy, the club's first-round pick in 2021, will spend the rest of the season in the Cardinals rotation. McGreevy holds a 3.49 ERA in the majors this season over five appearances (four starts). Reliever Andre Granillo was recalled from Triple-A Memphis as the corresponding move for Fedde. (Top photo of Erick Fedde:)
Fox News
2 minutes ago
- Fox News
Red Sox's Lucas Giolito confronts MLB commish about sports betting
Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito is concerned about the safety of MLB players amid a rise in sports betting, revealing that both he and his girlfriend have been harassed on social media. Giolito, 31, spoke about the issue after meeting with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred this week. He told the "Baseball isn't Boring" podcast that Manfred met with the Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies to discuss issues and concerns and that he took the opportunity to raise an issue that he believes is a serious threat to most baseball players. "I asked him about something that has been on my mind this year that's been a little worrisome for me with the rise of sports betting – the access that exists now with social media and everything," Giolito said. "The threats when a player doesn't perform well – threats to their family, threats to their life – it's getting very tiring. I worry for guys that are maybe new to the league and aren't ready for something like that." The 2019 All-Star said that he's been subjected to angry threats on social media, regardless of his performance. He noted that even his girlfriend "gets a lot of nasty s---." "When it comes to the gambling, it obviously has created an uptick in insane people online — well, not insane, just disgruntled. I'm getting messages after every game, even games where I pitch well where they're made at me because I hit the strike out over instead of being under, or I was under instead of being over like prop bets – all these crazy things. And people put hundreds of dollars on it and they don't have a lot of money, but they're gambling it anyways because it's a disease. They freak out." Giolito admitted that while sports betting has been around for some time, access to players on social media and access to gambling has made it a bigger issue over the years. While staying off social media can shield players from the negativity, Giolito said it does not remove the real threat athletes could face. "It only goes so far," he said. "Is it going to take a player getting assaulted in front of their apartment building by some disgruntled guy that lost a bet for real action to be taken?" Giolito said he appreciated the commissioner speaking with teams and players, adding that "to be able to get face-to-face time and ask questions is always good." However, Giolito isn't the first athlete to ever raise concerns about sports betting – and he certainly isn't the first MLB player to be subjected to alarming threats. Just last month, police in Texas identified a man overseas as the culprit who allegedly made death threats directed at Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family in May. Police said the man was "inebriated" when he made the threats on social media after he lost money on a bet. The Astros hired security for McCullers and his family. McCullers said he struggled with explaining the situation to his 5-year-old daughter. "She asked me when I came home, 'Daddy, like, what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?'" McCullers told The Associated Press at the time. "So, those conversations are tough to deal with."
