The St. Louis Cardinals are beginning to look more and more like trade deadline sellers as the cutoff approaches. The Cardinals have slowed down from their hot start, now sitting just two games above .500 and recently being passed in the NL Central by the Cincinnati Reds. Most recently, CBS Sports posted an article titled, 'Bold Second-Half Predictions for All 30 MLB Teams: Acuña's MVP run, Langford's breakout, and more'. The article dives into Nolan Arenado as a strong trade candidate for the Cardinals as the deadline approaches.
Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado Lands with Yankees, Cubs in Bold Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The St. Louis Cardinals are beginning to look more and more like trade deadline sellers as the cutoff approaches.
The Cardinals have slowed down from their hot start, now sitting just two games above .500 and recently being passed in the NL Central by the Cincinnati Reds. They sit 3.5 games outside of the NL Wildcard.
Most recently, CBS Sports posted an article titled, 'Bold Second-Half Predictions for All 30 MLB Teams: Acuña's MVP run, Langford's breakout, and more'. The article dives into Nolan Arenado as a strong trade candidate for the Cardinals as the deadline approaches.
CBS sees the New York Yankees or the Chicago Cubs as the favorite candidates.
"I think the Yankees are the likeliest contender, with the financial ability to take on his deal and an obvious need at third base after moving Jazz Chisholm back to second base for good," the article said.
New York sits atop the AL Wildcard with a record of 55-44, 3.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, who sit just outside of the playoff picture.
The article also mentions the St. Louis' dearest rivals, the Cubs, as a candidate for the third baseman.
"I could also see the Cubs taking the plunge, knowing how pot-committed they are to contending this season. Given how poorly the Isaac Paredes trade went for them last summer, the Cubs might be rightly gunshy about betting on another pull-heavy, raw-power-light "slugger," though in this case, Statcast's expected HR stat suggests Arenado would actually have six more homers this season playing at Wrigley Field than in St. Louis, so it could work out," the article said.
Over 300 players have played on both sides of the beloved Cardinals-Cubs rivalry, but Arenado would be one of those big names you don't forget. Recently, we've seen this move from players like Willson Contreras, Jason Heyward and Dexter Fowler.
Like I mentioned earlier, the Cardinals look like potential sellers now more than ever, coming off a road series against the below .500 Arizona Diamondbacks where St. Louis got swept, fans have started raising concern.
JJ Wetherholt is literally the only player that should be considered untouchable right now. Maybe Brendan Donovan too.
— Jeremy Karp (@jkarpsportsfan1) July 20, 2025
This team is just bad all around. And there needs to be changes.#STLCards#ForTheLou
A midseason slump, a tightening NL Wild Card race, and rising pressure from division rivals have all cast doubt on St. Louis’ postseason hopes. With Nolan Arenado emerging as a potential trade chip—and heavyweights like the Yankees and Cubs reportedly in the mix—the front office faces a pivotal decision that could shape the franchise’s direction for years to come.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
