The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have some difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks. Despite being in postseason contention, they are beginning to struggle.
On Sunday, the lost 11-0 to the Chicago Cubs and fell to 6 1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central. They are right in the mix for the final Wild Card spot, however.
The Cardinals could buy, sell, or hold. But if they go the buy route, then that means they likely will hold onto a few trade chips.
Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that if they buy, they will be reluctant to part with any relievers on expiring contracts.
"Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton are all on expiring deals. All have postseason experience, reliable track records and are pitching well this season — all traits contending teams tend to seek (and often are willing to overpay for). But if St. Louis is also in contention, there could be hesitancy to move any of the three," Woo wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Cardinals are in a unique spot. Selling might make the most sense for them if they are struggling. They can bring back solid returns for Helsley, Maton and Matz, as teams tend to overpay for rental relievers.
Despite being five games above .500, the Cardinals clearly cannot compete with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres or even the Cubs.
President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak is stepping down at the end of the season, and it may be best for him to focus on setting up the future for his successor, Chaim Bloom rather than pushing the chips for a run in 2025.
The Cardinals have missed the postseason in back-to-back years, and if they do decide to buy at the deadline, they likely won't make a move that puts them in the conversation for a World Series title.
It will be interesting to see how they operate in the coming weeks.
More MLB: Yohel Pozo quiets crowd of 40,119 fans at Wrigley in win over Cubs