The St. Louis Cardinals began the season with unusually low expectations. St. Louis was coming off a second consecutive poor season and did not spend much time in the trade market or free agency this winter to upgrade. Instead, John Mozeliak allowed a bunch of players leave in free agency and chose to replace them internally, with the goal of using 2025 as a reset to determine which individuals may be building blocks moving forward.
This led almost everyone to believe the Cardinals would be sellers at the trade deadline. All signs seemed to point in that direction. But then something unusual happened: St. Louis began to win, and win, and win some more. They’ve won so much that the debate has gone from them being the weakest team in the National League Central to perhaps challenging for the division title — or, at the very least, a Wild Card spot.
Will one winning streak jeopardize the Cardinals’ long-term plans? There is a chance.
John Mozeliak hints at Cardinals being trade deadline buyers
Mozeliak recently discussed the Cardinals’ strategy for the upcoming trade deadline and reflected on their choices from last summer.
“If we’re playing well, why not try to keep that going?” he said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Some moves are made to help us right now, while others are about building for the future. You have to balance those. Last year, we felt like things were starting to click, so we made a few moves. Some were aimed at the long-term, and others didn’t have much impact. But we gave it a shot.
“It’s definitely more enjoyable to add to your team than to tear it apart.”
The most telling quote is Mozeliak’s opening line: “If we’re playing well, why not try to keep that going?”
Given that mindset, it would be surprising to see the Cardinals commit to a full rebuild this season. They may even hold on to players on expiring deals like Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde, who were initially seen as trade candidates but have become key contributors. Dealing them could be a step backward.
That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Cardinals will go all-in for a deep postseason push either. Their young core has performed well enough to keep them competitive through May. A more likely path would be to make smaller adjustments without sacrificing significant players or prospects, and reassess their direction in the offseason.
In the end, the Cardinals are likely to take a middle-ground approach — not full buyers or sellers. They might move some pending free agents like Fedde or Helsley, but would likely aim to get back players with team control beyond this year.