John Mozeliak’s final stretch leading the St. Louis Cardinals has been messy, largely due to missteps in recent seasons. However, by deciding to embrace a seller’s role at the trade deadline, he’s likely spared his long-term reputation in St. Louis from further damage. Had he continued clinging to the idea of contending in his last year, things could’ve ended far worse.
Mozeliak has effectively signaled surrender, and that’s a smart move for a Cardinals team in need of a reset.
He told reporters at Coors Field, ahead of the series opener against the Rockies, that getting swept by the Diamondbacks over the weekend has forced a shift in the team’s trade deadline approach. With more teams expressing interest in the Cardinals’ expiring contracts, Mozeliak said the club is prioritizing its future.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Mozeliak, speaking from the dugout, confirmed that the Arizona series and recent slide in the standings are influencing front office strategy. He acknowledged that players like Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz are already generating trade buzz from contenders looking to bolster their playoff push. Previously, there were doubts about whether the Cardinals would actually part with such players, but it’s now clear they intend to.
Perhaps even more surprising is how much broader the potential sell-off could be. Mozeliak said he plans to approach players with no-trade clauses—such as Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Miles Mikolas, and Nolan Arenado—to see if they’d be open to leaving St. Louis. Although it had been reported that Gray and Contreras were likely staying put, that now seems less certain if the right offers emerge.
What once seemed like it might be a dull or misguided trade deadline could become one of the most eventful sell-offs in recent Cardinals history—possibly surpassing 2023. If the no-trade players choose to stay, things could remain fairly quiet. But if even one of them agrees to move, it opens the door to major shakeups.
Mozeliak has repeatedly said that Chaim Bloom will have a strong voice in decisions that affect the club’s long-term future. With that in mind, it’s likely Bloom will play a key role in identifying the young talent or prospects the Cardinals will seek in return.