St Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are preparing for a rare sell at the deadline, and the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are all interested buyers.

Derrick Goold of The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that those three teams have interest in players like Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery and Jordan Hicks.

"The Miami Marlins have also talked to the Cardinals about at least starters Flaherty and Montgomery," Goold wrote. "The Marlins recently dispatched a scout to evaluate a Flaherty start in person, a source confirmed. The Texas Rangers have shown interest in Hicks, and the Tampa Bay Rays have also looked into the pitchers the Cardinals have available. Those are teams industry sources have confirmed, but it is not a comprehensive list."

The Cardinals are 46-60 and currently sit in last place in the NL Central. They committed to a rebuild that does not include marquee stars like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, instead focusing on players like Flaherty, Hicks and Montgomery who are impending free agents.

Flaherty is the big fish from the Cardinals given his past success, but he has struggled a bit in 2023. He is 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts, but he has been healthy for the first time in several seasons and his 106 strikeouts thus far are more indicative of his earlier, Cy Young candidate-caliber seasons. His seven wins also lead the team.

Montgomery is 6-9 with a team-high 3.42 ERA and 108 strikeouts. He is a seven-season veteran with experience in both leagues and could be an excellent back-end starter for a team making a postseason push.

Hicks has a 3.67 ERA in 40 appearances with eight saves out of the bullpen. He has been hitting triple digits routinely in 2023 and this velocity could be crucial down the stretch for a team that needs to address the bullpen.

All three are arms that could be valuable to a contending team and are on expiring contracts, so they would likely be pure rentals for whatever team acquires them. The Rangers are looking to end a playoff drought that dates back to 2016 and just acquired star pitcher Max Scherzer from the Mets. They appear to be more interested in Hicks, as stated by Goold, and adding a flamethrower like him to the bullpen could be crucial as the Rangers look to build their division lead on the Houston Astros.

The Marlins and Rays both have young cores that they would like to supplement, and experienced postseason starters like Montgomery and Flaherty don't become available too often.

The New York Yankees reportedly have their eyes on the St. Louis Cardinals as they prepare to go shopping ahead of Tuesday's Major League Baseball trade deadline.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Yankees are interested in Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks and outfielder Dylan Carlson. The two teams have held discussions regarding the availability of the two players.

St. Louis is in last place in the National League Central at 46-60 and 11.5 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The franchise may not be accustomed to being in such a position, but it is a clear seller approaching the deadline.

However, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak ended any speculation about whether that meant trading star third baseman Nolan Arenado when he told Goold the team is not moving him.

Instead, Goold reported the plan is to "use this deadline to reboot the pitching staff and then augment it through the winter for a swift return to contention."

Manager Oliver Marmol echoed those sentiments Saturday when he said, "In conversations with everybody above me, I'm highly confident we'll be extremely competitive in 2024. We're not going through this again."

Perhaps trading Hicks or Carlson to the Yankees could help in that pursuit. New York is also a last-place team, but that is largely due to the competitiveness of the American League East. Its 55-49 record looks much better than St. Louis' mark.

The Yankees are eight games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles but just 3.5 games back of a wild-card spot.

The hard-throwing Hicks has been solid but unspectacular this season with a 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. He could be a situational option near the end of New York's bullpen in such a trade.

Carlson would provide outfield depth and injury insurance.

He is slashing .230/.328/.345 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 68 games this year.

Amid connections between the Los Angeles Dodgers' and St. Louis Cardinals' star Nolan Arenado, the organization seemingly took the third baseman off the market after team executive John Mozeliak reiterated that he wouldn't be traded.

Mozeliak made the definitive statement to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday night, showing that he wants to keep Arenado around for as long as possible.

"I have stated we are not trading him, have not asked him to waive his (no-trade clause)," Mozeliak said. "So at this time, we are working on building future success."

Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times was the first to report that the Cardinals and Dodgers had engaged in talks over the 10-time Gold Glove winner earlier this week but that there were plenty of obstacles to any potential deal.

When Arenado was asked about the report Friday night, he told reporters that that he had not been approached by the team about his no-trade clause and added that he believed the front office was doing "its due diligence to make the organization better."

St. Louis is reportedly ready to offload its impending free agents ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline such as Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery and are looking to bring in some young pitching help.

The organization does not want to enter a rebuilding phase and is looking to get back into title contention as soon as next season, per Castillo. Retaining Arenado, who still has four seasons and $109 million remaining on a team-friendly contract, is a key piece to staying competitive.

After winning 93 games in 2022, the Cardinals have struggled this season, sitting last place in the NL Central, 10.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds and 10.5 outside of a Wild Card spot.

Arenado is having another terrific season coming off a campaign in which he finished third in MVP voting. He's batting .284/.332/.517 with a .849 OPS to go along with 22 homers and 77 RBI in 100 games.

Amid reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in a trade for St. Louis' Cardinals' star Nolan Arenado, it seems like a deal between the two sides is still considered to be a long shot with the Aug. 1 trade deadline just three days away, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

"The Cardinals at this point don't seem inclined to trade much beyond their potential free agents, [Jordan] Montgomery, [Jack] Flaherty, those guys," Rosenthal said while appearing on FS1 on Saturday. "Arenado is under contract through 2027 and this is not a team accustomed to being in this position, it's not a team accustomed to selling.

"... If I'm the Cardinals I'm at least listening but I'm not sure they would do this."

Connections between Arenado and the Dodgers were first reported by the Los Angeles Times' Jorge Castillo on Thursday with the two sides engaging in talks over the All-Star third baseman.

Castillo also reported that Arenado would only be willing to waive the no-trade clause in his contract for the Dodgers, but it was later refuted by his agent Joel Wolfe, who wasn't willing to give any more details on the negotiations or trade discussions.

The Cardinals are reportedly looking to add to their pitching staff at the deadline and a trade for Arenado could certainly fetch them the type of young talent that they're looking for.

"A trade of Arenado would make some sense," Rosenthal said. "It would allow [the Cardinals] to get the pitching that they want in a much bigger way than the trade of a potential free agent would. And it would open up third base for one of their younger position players."

St. Louis has been taking a deeper look at some of the Dodgers' younger arms like Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot, and Emmet Sheehan. Los Angeles would also likely need to include Max Muncy or Chris Taylor in a deal for Arenado, per Castillo.

The biggest question mark surrounding the potential deal has always been the Cardinals' willingness to let go of an elite talent like Arenado because of one down year.

They are currently fourth in the NL Central, 11.5 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers and 10.5 games out of a Wild Card slot coming off a season in which they won 93 games in 2022.

The organization reportedly does not want to enter a rebuilding phase next season and is looking get back in title contention as soon as 2024, according to Castillo. The best way to do that would be to hold on to Arenado, one of the best two-way players in all of baseball.

The 32-year-old has won 10 Gold Glove Awards over his career and is currently hitting .284/.332/.517 with 22 homers and 77 RBI in 100 games. He'd be the franchise's biggest trade chip by a wide margin if he's actually made available.

While St. Louis has always been expected to be sellers this year, it has been awfully quiet thus far. ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the reason is that its price tag for certain players is just too high.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas has been suspended five games for throwing at Cubs outfielder Ian Happ in Thursday's 10-3 loss to Chicago, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was also given an automatic one-game suspension.

In the top of the first inning on Thursday, Happ swung and missed at a 2-0 pitch from Mikolas and his follow through hit Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras in the head, causing him to bleed.

Contreras, who was removed from the game, hugged Happ before walking off the field, and everything seemed fine between the two former Cubs teammates. That was until Mikolas took the mound again for his next pitch.

The veteran appeared to retaliate in support of his catcher, plunking Happ on the backside on a 3-1 count, resulting in an ejection.

Mikolas told reporters of the incident after the game:

In any circumstance, I've got Willson's back; he's my catcher, and I consider him a really good friend now. Any single one of these guys in this locker room, I go to bat for them 100 percent. That's something we as a team believe in, always having each other's backs. I guess that's what the umpires thought I was doing [purposefully hitting Happ], and it's unfortunate there was no warning or anything.

Marmol, who was also ejected, added that he thought the umpires should have first issued a warning.

"If the explanation was that there was intent behind the first pitch, then I feel like there should have been a warning after that first pitch, and it could have saved everybody a lot of trouble," Marmol said.

Mikolas, like much of the St. Louis roster, has had a rough season, posting a 6-6 record with a 4.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 127.1 innings across 23 starts. He won't be eligible to return until an Aug. 3 matchup against the Minnesota Twins.

The 34-year-old's absence won't have any major ripple effects for the Cardinals, which are expected to be sellers ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline as they are well out of a playoff spot with a 46-58 record, sitting fourth in the National League Central.

St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks could be on the move ahead of the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline.

The Texas Rangers are "aggressively pursuing" Hicks, who will become a free agent following the 2023 campaign, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. However, the Cardinals will only trade the veteran if the two sides can't come to terms on a contract extension before the deadline, Nightengale added.

Hicks was widely expected to come to an agreement on an extension with the Cardinals after The Athletic's Katie Woo reported Tuesday that "the belief is that an extension could be finalized within the next day."

However, Woo also acknowledged that the Cardinals "would almost certainly trade Hicks" if the two sides couldn't come to terms on a multi-year extension.

With just four days before the trade deadline, it appears extension talks aren't going to plan. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday that contract discussions "have not progressed."

Hicks has spent his entire six-year career in St. Louis, but he'd be a solid addition to any World Series contender this summer. The 26-year-old has posted a 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 59 strikeouts and eight saves in 41.2 innings across 40 appearances.

The Rangers are on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 campaign, sitting first in the American League West with a 60-43 record, but they could use some bullpen depth entering the second half of the season.

Texas' bullpen has struggled this season, and a classic meltdown by Aroldis Chapman in the team's 10-9 loss to its divisional foe Houston Astros likely has the club on its heels and desperate to get some relief help.

The Cardinals are gearing up to offload several players ahead of the trade deadline amid a disappointing season that has them well out of playoff contention sitting fourth in the National League Central with a 46-58 record.

In addition to Hicks, starting pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty have been mentioned as potential trade candidates, as has outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

Amid difficulties in negotiations over a contract extension, St. Louis Cardinals' reliever Jordan Hicks has begun to draw interest on the trade market ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 1, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Hicks, 26, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and his agents have been in Phoenix to try and knock out a multi-year extension with the Cardinals. But there hasn't been much traction thus far.

It was reported earlier in the week that Hicks could likely be traded if an extension isn't completed ahead of the deadline.

Hicks has remained firm on wanting to stay in St. Louis and stick with the organization that drafted him back in 2015.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reported Tuesday that the extension was imminent and that it was expected to get done within the next day. But things certainly haven't gone to plan thus far.

The Cardinals are also getting ready to offload a couple of other impending free agent pitchers like starters Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery, who they are looking to turn into younger arms.

Ryan Helsey and Chris Stratton are also in potential trade conversations, according to Goold.

One of the hardest throwers in all of MLB, if Hicks is made available he'll have no shortage of bidders ahead of the trade deadline. Although he's still a little rough around the edges, he's shown the potential to become one of the very best relievers in the game.

With a fastball that consistently tops out at over 100 MPH, a blazing sinker and a strong slider, Hicks has the type of stuff that'll have pitching coaches around the league drooling.

Hicks is 1-6 on the season with a 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Since taking over the full-time closer role he's thrived, getting eight saves in nine attempts to the tune of a 2.03 ERA.

St. Louis is certainly set to be sellers at the deadline after a first half in which it has greatly underachieved. It currently sits fourth in the NL Central and is 9.5 games out of a Wild Card slot.

So, Hicks may get them the type of young help that they're looking for.

However, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reported that the Cardinals don't want to enter a rebuilding phase and would like to contend again next year. Keeping young talent like Hicks may be the solution to doing that if they're able to get this extension done.

They may not want to risk of losing him for nothing in the winter, though, without a new deal in place.

Hicks will be an interesting name to watch over the next few days if things remain quiet on the negotiation front. He could potentially be a game changer for any number of contenders.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals have begun discussions over a potential trade for eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to the Los Angeles Times' Jorge Castillo.

According to Castillo, Arenado would only be willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for the Dodgers. As a Southern California native, he's apparently always wanted to play for his hometown team.

However, after talking to Arenado's representation, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that it's "inaccurate" that the star would only waive the clause for Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have already been quite busy ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, adding Kiké Hernández and Amed Rosario, but they may be looking for an even bigger coup by adding Arenado, one of the best players in the game.

Castillo also reported that the Cardinals could send a starting pitcher to Los Angeles—either Jack Flaherty or Jordan Montgomery—as part of the package in exchange for major leaguers and prospects.

St. Louis reportedly wants some young pitchers back in the deal and have been looking into Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot and Emmett Sheehan. The Dodgers would also have to include Max Muncy or Chris Taylor in the package as well.

However, there are a number of roadblocks that could prevent the trade from happening.

Mainly, the Cardinals may be unwilling to part with an elite player who's still on an extremely team-friendly contract over the next several seasons, even if they're set to be sellers at the trade deadline this season.

Arenado, 32, is still under team control for the next four seasons at $109 million and St. Louis is looking to still be contenders in the coming years despite their struggles in 2023.

It currently sits fourth in the NL Central division and are 9.5 games back of a Wild Card slot. The organization does not want to enter a rebuilding phase and are looking to get back to their typical standard as quickly as possible.

Keeping Arenado may be the best solution for that.

The 10-time Gold Glove winner is still one of the elite defensive players in the sport while also batting .287/.335/.521 with 22 homers and 77 RBI this season. He finished third in MVP voting in 2022.

This isn't the first time the Dodgers have shown in interest in Arenado, though.

The franchise previously planned to pursue him in free agency after the 2019 season, he ended up signing an eight-year extension with the Rockies. They also tried to acquire him when the Rockies made him available before the 2021 season, but Colorado refused to send him to a division rival and wound up dealing him to St. Louis.

If Los Angeles is able to complete the deal, Arenado would be the latest star to become a franchise cornerstone, joining Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. And it'd also give him his first legitimate shot at competing for a World Series title with an elite ball club.

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jordan Hicks is a major candidate to receive a contract extension imminently. If the two sides can't come to an agreement, however, he may have a new home shortly given his pending free agency this winter.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, "the belief is that an extension could be finalized within the next day. If a deal cannot be reached, the Cardinals would almost certainly trade Hicks by the deadline."

If he does became available, contenders across baseball will bid for his services.

The 26-year-old reliever is 1-6 on the season with a 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings (40 appearances) and eight saves in 11 opportunities. As Woo noted, however, since become the full-time closer he's saved eight of his last nine opportunities and has a 2.03 ERA.

WIth the ability to touch 100 MPH on his sinker and a nasty slider, Hicks has major potential as a lockdown closer going forward. That could make him a nice addition for a contending team's bullpen. It also makes him a strong candidate for an extension.

The motivations for trading him are simple enough: The Cardinals are 45-56 on the season and have already acknowledged that shaking up the core of the roster is needed.

"I feel like where this club's at right now, we just know it's not working intact," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters on July 17. "We do know we have to make some changes."

"If we can find talent that we think can help emerge in 2024, that'd be great," he added. "2025? I wouldn't rule that out either. But 2026 seems a long way away."

By moving him now, the Cardinals could not only get starting pitching prospects in return, but they could also potentially re-sign him in the winter. Hicks has already said he hopes to remain with the team.

"This is where I want to be," he told reporters last week. "I love it here."

Not only that, but lucrative extensions for relievers can be risky. Bullpen arms tend to have more season-by-season variance than other positions, even if top-end closers remain valuable.

Hicks has blown 12 saves in 40 opportunities throughout his career. He has nasty stuff, but he's no guarantee to be an elite closer for years to come. There's an argument to be made that getting prospects for him now is more prudent than risking a major financial commitment, especially given the possibility of signing him in the winter after any trade.

The benefits of signing him to an extension are just as obvious.

The Cardinals wouldn't risk losing him for nothing in free agency and could keep one of the more intriguing closers on the team going forward. They have other players they could move to restock the farm system and shake up the roster while holding onto a pitcher with truly nasty stuff. And trading him might anger him enough to take the Cardinals out of the running come free agency, eliminating the "having your cake and eating it too" scenario.

Either option is justifiable from the Cardinals' perspective, making him one of the more interesting names to monitor ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

The Los Angeles Dodgers "have long been enamored" with St. Louis Cardinals star Nolan Arenado, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.

While the Cardinals are fourth in the National League Central at 44-56, Gonzalez added they aren't expected to move the veteran third baseman.

In an interview with Martin Kilcoyne of Fox-2 in St. Louis, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged the team was likely to be a seller at the deadline but that a full fire sale was out of the question.

"Right now, I can tell you, we're going to trade people, you just don't know if it's going to be household names or guys who are more likely to not be here next year," he said.

"It's easy to talk about what we may or may not do at the moment, but we're not going to just give away players. We want to get some value in return. We want to get some value that helps us in 2024. And that's really going to be our focus as we enter the trading period."

Arenado is under contract with St. Louis through 2027 after opting in to the remainder of his eight-year, $260 million contract. Not only is there no threat of him leaving as a free agent anytime soon, but the $109 million he's owed over the next four seasons is a more than reasonable figure.

The 10-time Gold Glove winner ranks fifth in WAR (2.7) among third basemen at FanGraphs. Through 96 games, he's batting .291 and slugging .523 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI.

Gonzalez wrote the Dodgers will look to address the hot corner in the offseason, so acquiring Arenado would immediately take care of that need.

With the deadline a little more than a week away, it doesn't look like a realistic avenue, though.