One of Major League Baseball's most interesting teams in 2025 is the St. Louis Cardinals. They're so interesting, not because of their dominance, nor because of how terrible they are. Rather, they're interesting because they are on the cusp of being both buyers and sellers at the MLB trade deadline.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today also questioned the direction of the team, making a brutal comparison in the process. "The Cardinals are a real-life version of 'Major League' where the team is winning despite the front office's attempts for them to fail."
St. Louis is under three games behind the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central, and is also fielding calls for some of their top trade chips. These two facts point to the Cardinals' leadership and the performance on the field being disjointed. With a chance to sell assets for a major haul, the team is finding success.
"The Cardinals didn't do anything in the offseason," Nightengale writes. "Tried to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado, asked ace Sonny Gray to waive his no-trade clause, and planned on waiting until the All-Star break to trade closer Ryan Helsley and starter Erick Fedde."
It's a great point that Nightengale brings up. The Cardinals have tried to trade some of their best players over the past year and have been looking to secure the best value where they can. If they were a team seriously contending, or looking to contend, Arenado, Gray, and Helsley wouldn't be in trade rumors.
The Cardinals, while trying to trade away their best players, are in direct contention with the Cubs for the NL Central lead. Most teams shopping their best players aren't in such a situation.
With the two coexisting at the same time, it's no surprise that Nightengale is questioning the Cardinals' decision-making. Likening them to "Major League" is a brutal assessment of the team.
Nightengale questions what the Cardinals are doing. As to him, it seems like the front office is trying to lose, while the team is playing to win.
While the players performing isn't strange, the front office's handling of the roster amid the team's success is the major question that Nightengale and many around baseball have. What is the Cardinals' front office doing with such a talented roster?