Selling Cardinals reportedly unlikely to trade Nolan Arenado or Paul Goldschmidt

The reigning NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals entered the 2023 season seemingly poised to contend for another playoff berth, but a wildly underachieving 38-52 first half of the season has thrown a wrench into the way the club plans to approach the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

The biggest names generating buzz on social media (out of mere speculation) with regard to the Cardinals’ deadline strategy have been eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. Those two names, however, seem to be off the table, according to a Friday report from Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals — whose president, John Mozeliak, told FOX-2 (St. Louis) during the All-Star break they do indeed intend to sell — instead plan to supplement their star corner infielders in hopes of a return to contention in 2024.

Those names had garnered some traction as potential fits with the Philadelphia Phillies, though said traction came in the form of speculation rather than reports of tangible trade talks. But even with Arenado and Goldschmidt seemingly off the table, the Redbirds are rife with talent that could appeal to a Phillies team in the opposite position — that is, seeking to add for a playoff push.

Ryan Helsley — one of the best relievers in baseball last year, despite Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, and again having a solid year in 2023 — is an option that Goold noted could be shopped. Helsley, along with fellow reliever Génesis Cabrera, is someone for whom the Cardinals are “open to listening for offers,” per Goold; both are under team control through 2025.

Goold wrote flamethrowing reliever Jordan Hicks also fits into that “open to offers” category, but as a rental. Tyler O’Neill, who’s been sidelined with an injury since May 4 but is close to a return, could offer some intrigue in a vacant left field once Bryce Harper is regularly manning first base. O’Neill could potentially be a right-handed bat off the bench on days when Harper is the DH and Schwarber is playing in left field.

That role is one in which the Phillies could certainly benefit from an upgrade — and while Philadelphia’s bullpen has been excellent, it’s hard to ever have too many high-leverage relievers, as the Astros demonstrated last year. And even through Cristopher Sánchez seems to have locked down the No. 5 starter’s job for now, perhaps Jack Flaherty (an upcoming free agent whom Goold noted could also be moved) is worth a look.

All that is to say: While the likeliest trade candidates might not boast trophy cases the size of Arenado’s or Goldschmidt’s, the selling Cardinals do have a range of intriguing options that, at the very least, make a phone call from Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to Mozeliak well worth the time.

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