The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled during the 2024 MLB season.
They are currently in last place in the NL Central with a 15-21 record, six games down of the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, who are tied for first.
Only four teams in the MLB have a worse run differential than the Cardinals’ -34 so far. The injury to catcher Willson Contreras will exacerbate an already feeble offense, with 126 runs ranking last in the National League and second-lowest in baseball.
Contreras was hit in the arm on a swing by J.D. Martinez of the New York Mets this week and will need surgery. He will be sidelined at least six weeks, weakening what was already an underwhelming lineup.
With a bleaker-than-anticipated outlook, the St. Louis Cardinals are a team that could turn into sellers ahead of the deadline. As a result of that, Tim Kelly of Just Baseball has listed two of their players among his top 10 candidates to be traded list.
Coming in at No. 4 on that list is their closer, Ryan Helsley. His case is an interesting one because if the team wants to contend soon, having a dominant relief pitcher at the end of games is a nice luxury.
Since 2022, Helsley has been one of the most dominant relief pitches in baseball. His 1.69 ERA since is the second-lowest among qualified relief pitchers, as he would have a robust market if the Cardinals did make him available.
Coming in at No. 3 on the list is former MVP, Paul Goldschmidt. At 36 years old, there are some concerns that he has hit the wall every player eventually does in their career, as the 2024 season has been a major struggle for him.
Through 35 games, he has a slash line of .195/.287/.263. Red flags exist, as the lack of power is certainly concerning with only three doubles and two home runs through 152 plate appearances. He is striking out more than he ever has previously and is walking at a near career-low rate.
In a contract year, the market for Goldschmidt may not be too strong, especially with his level of production. But, he is still an excellent fielding first baseman and no one is going to count him out when it comes to getting things going at the plate.
If Goldschmidt hints that he wants to play for a contender, the St. Louis Cardinals could oblige and find a trade partner for him. It will be something to watch for, as there is still time for him and the team to get on track.
