The St. Louis Cardinals finished the 2024 season with an 83-79 record and tied the Chicago Cubs for second place in the National League Central.
However, 2025 appears to be a year of transition for the Cardinals rather than one where they will push the chips to contend.
Rumors have even circulated that they will rebuild and trade players like Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Ryan Helsley.
But President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak dropped an important hint after the team's end of the season press conference about what his plans are.
"I'm not anticipating any big contracts going yet," Mozeliak said on Monday. "Ultimately, when you think about the trading market in general, that starts as we enter post-World Series, we a lot of times sort of think through this. And then, ultimately, there are some players that I still think have some value here, from a leadership standpoint and also a competitive standpoint. So that is something that we'll focus on."
This does not mean that St. Louis won't look to make a few trades. They are going to operate with a lesser payroll in 2025.
Still, Mozeliak doesn't seem ready to throw in the towel just yet, and does believe that several of his stars on big contracts can help the team improve to a certain degree.
Gray and Contreras are two veteran leaders and influential voices in their young clubhouse. They also have no-trade clauses, as does Arenado.
It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals decide to do and if any of their higher-priced veterans will ultimately demand a trade.
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