The Cardinals have made zero trades this offseason. Two months in the past, that will’ve been an enormous shock. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak declared on the finish of the season that the staff would minimize MLB payroll and provides constant reps to youthful gamers. Seven of MLBTR’s Prime 35 commerce candidates getting into the winter had been Cardinals.
All of them stay Cardinals with lower than a month till pitchers and catchers report. They don’t seem to be all analogous conditions. In a minimum of three instances, the Playing cards themselves had been most likely bowled over. Willson Contreras advised the staff he had no real interest in waiving his no-trade clause. Sonny Grey has additionally expressed an curiosity in staying quite than waiving his personal no-trade rights. Nolan Arenado is reportedly extra open to transferring, although he used his no-trade clause to kill a possible commerce to Houston.
Mozeliak has brazenly said the group is making an attempt to deal Arenado. The baseball operations chief has known as that the only method to get the staff’s payroll the place they need it to be. That would nonetheless come collectively, but it surely has confirmed harder to orchestrate than the entrance workplace seemingly envisioned. The Astros have already moved on. Different groups are reportedly balking at taking a giant portion of the $64MM remaining on the third baseman’s contract. Katie Woo of The Athletic wrote final week that talks on Arenado had stalled.
These situations are past Mozeliak’s management past the truth that he was keen to incorporate no-trade clauses in Contreras’ and Grey’s free agent offers. (Arenado acquired his NTC from the Rockies when he signed his extension in 2019.) The entrance workplace most likely anticipated these veterans could be keen to maneuver quite than ready out a number of transitional seasons. In that sense, the Playing cards are in an unenviable spot.
Probably the most perplexing a part of their offseason is that they have not made any strikes in response to these roadblocks. Their offseason has consisted of shopping for out Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Keynan Middleton whereas claiming depth reliever Bailey Horn off waivers. That should change between now and Opening Day.
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