Alright, Cards fans, grab your coffee and brace yourselves — because the trade deadline buzz is heating up fast, and yes, the St. Louis Cardinals are right in the middle of it. MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal believe the Cardinals are going to be sellers this year.
They’re not out of the race — not by a long shot. In fact, they’re still lurking just outside the National League Wild Card picture. But with a roster full of valuable assets and a World Series run looking more like wishful thinking than reality, the speculation is swirling: Will the Cardinals sell at the 2025 MLB trade deadline?
Ken Rosenthal thinks the Cardinals are Sellers this Year
Ken Rosenthal thinks the answer is probably yes. During a recent segment on Fair Territory, he painted a picture of a franchise that’s gearing up for a soft sell — not a teardown, but a strategic offloading.
“It seems to me it would be possible,” Rosenthal said. “The Cardinals have slid back now. They’re not quite where they were. Still smack dab in the middle of the NL Wild Card race, but if you’re looking at this realistically, are they going to win the World Series this year? Probably not.”
Translation? St. Louis might still be technically in it, but front office brass seems to be leaning toward realism over wishful thinking.
So who’s on the potential move list?
Start with Nolan Arenado — he’s the big name everyone will watch. Then there’s Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde, both in contract years. Ryan Helsley, once among the league’s nastiest closers, could be on the block too. Even Sonny Gray, with his hefty contract and ace pedigree, might get some calls. Add in names like Jordan Walker, Pedro Pagés, Lars Nootbaar, and Alec Burleson, and you’ve got a serious war chest of trade chips.
BUT — and here’s the big one — Brendan Donovan is not among those names.
In fact, Donovan’s not just safe — he’s considered part of the core. As reported recently (yep, also by Ken Rosenthal), Donovan is viewed as a player the Cardinals want to extend, not move. And with a .323 average, elite versatility, and top-10 MLB stats across the board, it’s easy to see why.
So while chaos may swirl around the roster, and the phones may ring off the hook in the coming weeks, Donovan isn’t going anywhere.
That said, the rest of the roster? Fair game.
This year’s trade market is shaping up to be a seller’s paradise, with contending clubs begging add arms to their rotations and bullpens and bats to their offense. The Cardinals — with their high-value assets and contract-friendly players — are ideally situated to reap the benefits of this sellers market.
So buckle up, St. Louis. The next few weeks could define not just the rest of this season, but the next few years of Cardinals baseball. Just know this: if a fire sale comes, Brendan Donovan isn’t part of it — he’s part of the future.
