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A good read.
Inside the Deadline War Room: What Really Happens When GMs Make Their Moves https://t.co/gDz6XZRwDM pic.twitter.com/or8iFEoTsr
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 29, 2025
TOR acquired 2.66mil remaining salary of Dominguez, and BAL split the remainder with them, sending 1.3mil cash and acquiring Watts-Brown.
CotsFirst time caller, long time listener here… quick question, sorry if it has been discussed, why wouldn’t the Cardinals be interested in dealing Contreras and why would another team not be interested in taking him – like Seattle was for a 1B… He is also presenting a logjam at DH and is not really part of any glorious future plans..
I’ll hang up and listen
The short answer is Contreras is still productive and the Cardinals never trade players at their peak.
Also, just like Arenado and Gray, he has a NTC so it’s really up to him. He stated that he already won a World Series so he isn’t interested in chasing that and wants to stay put.
I am not sure I understand the facination with trading all of our high-dollar players that won’t bring back any prospects. Like Gray and Arenado, we won’t get a prospect back without eating a substantial part of their salary.
So you have to ask whether these theoretical logjams are worth eating $10s of millions of dollars. I personally don’t see a logjam. Contreras and Arenado can simply stay put at 1B and 3B through 2027/2028. The young guys like Nootbaar, Walker, Gorman, and Saggese aren’t exactly pushing them.
That 2022-2023 offseason we signed Wainwright to his last legacy contract and signed Contreras long term. That ate up much of the funds. From 1st to 5th.
If Jojo and Matz are moved (fingers crossed) is Mautz the next LHRP up? He needs to go on the 40 man by December regardless….
Henderson is going straight to the Memphis rotation I’m guessing as well.
There is no good reason to keep Contreras other than the difficulty/cost of moving him.
Same can be said about Gray. But they both have no trade clauses and have said they want to stay in St. Louis and not waive them.
I would think more of our players with trade clauses would readily waive it to get out of Dodge City. Our chances for post season success are extremely slim and our fans this year won’t exactly win any spirit awards. But this does not appear to be the case. Thus I’m getting the distinct feeling that our boys really get along well with each other, which usually bodes well for success. It’s too bad they aren’t more talented.
blingboy
There is no good reason to keep Contreras other than the difficulty/cost of moving him.
I’d like to keep the few consistent above-average players that we have left.
I love reading how unproductive Cardinals players are. Then the same posters turn around and want to trade the most productive players on the team. Especially the ones who really have no replacement pushing them.
Contreras is 8th among qualified 1B in fWAR and 11th in wRC+ out of 26. If he was a DH he would be 9th in wRC+ out of 24. So yes, he’s above average.
The team needs a top shelf chef to put the roster in a blender adding and subtracting ingredients as necessary to create a WS contending concoction. 2026 and 2027 will tell the tale on Chef Bloom. If he’s good so will be the Cardinals – if he’s not then the misery will continue.
Look at just how long the Cubs and red Sox went between titles. 108 and 86 years respectively. That is what can happen with a combination of bad luck and bad to mediocre management / ownership.
There is no way to really know until the outcome is readily apparent. We can THINK we know and THINK we can read the tea leaves – but we really can’t; there are simply too many moving parts and forces at play that no one can control.
Forget the trade deadline, the Milwaukee Brewers already pulled off the two biggest coups:
Besides grabbing Andrew Vaughn in June, they stole Quinn Priester from the Red Sox in April.
Since May 30, Priester is 9-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his last 11 starts, with Brewers going 11-0— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2025
Houston Astros mulling reunion with Carlos Correa; Nolan Arenado, Eugenio Suárez also in mix. https://t.co/vU0UhckalP
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2025
I’d like to keep the few consistent above-average players that we have left.
The NTC aside on Contreras. It would be the intelligent thing to do. The only guy I’d consider moving is Noot due to them appearing to damn the torpedos and play Walker the rest of the way.
Just stick to the plan boys. Maton, Matz, Helsley and maybe a curve with noot in there. Payroll down next season and regroup for 26.
I’ve been all for blowing it up and building around some of the guys who are now running low on team control. And I’m now in the blow it up and include Donovan and Nootbaar in there and get some return. I love Donny, but his value is sky high this season and Wetherholt is pushing for a MLB job. It’s way past time to tear in down and build it instead of trying to stabilize a falling structure with no foundation. Gray and Contreras aren’t going to waive, reportedly, so we’ll just have to use them the best we can until they decide to or their contracts expire. I’d trade Arenado, Nootbaar, Donovan, Fermin, Matz, Mikolas (NTC too though), Romero, Maton, Helsley, and DFA Hampson.
1. Wetherholt 2B (L)
2. Winn SS (R)
3. Burleson LF (L) – needs to be 1B/DH, but Contreras won’t waive NTC
4. Contreras 1B (R)
5. Herrera DH (R)
6. Gorman 3B (L)
7. Walker RF (R)
8. Pages/Pozo C (R)
9. Scott CF (L)Prieto IF (L)
Saggese IF/OF (R) – Get him learning corner OF
Church OF (L)
Pozo/Pages C (R)Gray, Liberatore (L), McGreevy, Pallante, Mikolas (if he won’t waive NTC, if he does then Leahy/Graceffo for the rest of 2025)
Leahy, Graceffo, King(L), Fernandez/Munoz/Roycroft, Svanson, ??? (L), Granillo, O’Brien
Even if they don’t want to bring Wetherholt up yet then 2B can be Saggese and Prieto and hold on to Fermin for the other bench spot since he’d just be a throw in anyway.
Interesting that some teams are not afraid to trade within division. This deal is between the teams just above and below the Cardinals in the NLC.
FWIW, I always felt it is timid behavior to be scared of making a bad trade and helping the other team. Either you believe in your trade abilities or you don’t. What about making the other team in your division look bad, instead????
BREAKING: The Cincinnati Reds are acquiring third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN. Hayes is among the best defensive players in baseball and has five years of club control beyond this season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
I totally agree Brian. If you are afraid of seeing the traded player play against you 13 times a year then you must not think you are good at trades.
The Pirates will receive SS Sammy Stafura (Cincy's No. 9 prospect per @MLBPipeline) and LHP Taylor Rogers from the Reds for Ke'Bryan Hayes, per source. @Ken_Rosenthal was on the return.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2025
Pirates should flip Rogers. #9 prospect for a good glove but might be a better bat playing in Cincinnati for 81 seems like a good deal if it works out.
If we weren’t so lefty dominant and either team in the position they’re in I’d love to have Kwan. Not the power bat we need but a gamer for sure.
Now it appears the Dodgers might be looking at other bullpen arms and maybe a starter like the Biebs. We’ll see if it’s smoke.
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