These Cardinals would not wave their No-Trade Clause: Grey, Arenado, Mikolas, and Contreras
The St. Louis Cardinals kept things relatively predictable at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. In what was John Mozeliak’s final deadline as president of baseball operations, the club completed three expected moves. They dealt relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz, all of whom were on expiring contracts. Had four Cardinals waived their no-trade clause, things could’ve been much different.
However, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals had their sights set on more. Mozeliak and the front office reportedly hoped to move starters Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas, along with first baseman Willson Contreras, and possibly Arenado. But all three players declined to waive their no-trade clauses, effectively halting any chance of a deal.
The trio’s decisions left the Cardinals unable to dump salaries or add young prospects. Mikolas, a pending free agent, would have offered rental appeal, while Gray and Contreras—both under team control beyond this season—could have brought back a more significant return, particularly with several contending teams in need of starting pitching and catching help.
More of a Fizzle Sale than a Fire Sale
While St. Louis succeeded in moving their rental relievers, the failure to trade any of their higher-salary veterans was a setback for a team clearly aiming to get younger and retool its roster.
This isn’t the first time a no-trade clause has blocked the Cardinals’ plans. Earlier this summer, the club reportedly agreed to terms on a trade that would’ve sent Nolan Arenado to the Houston Astros, only to see Arenado veto the deal. Now on the injured list, Arenado’s trade value is unclear, and that potential opportunity is gone. Arenado would acquiesce to a trade but only to a handful of teams. Thus making it much harder to get much return in a deal for the All-Star.
Though players are fully within their rights to invoke the no-trade clause, the Cardinals’ inability to execute their broader trade plans underscores the limitations such contract clauses can impose—particularly for a front office trying to reshape the roster on the fly.
