Obviously, it's too early in April to rule most teams out of the playoff picture. It's entirely possible that a veteran St. Louis Cardinals team will rebound from a relatively disappointing start and compete for one of the three wild-card spots in the National League.
But on a team with so many players in their mid-30s, it just feels like the Cardinals may have missed their opportunity to win with this group. If St. Louis is trending toward a second consecutive last-place finish in the NL Central this summer, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak may have to come to grips with some sort of retool.
Will that mean Nolan Arenado gets traded? Certainly, if the Cardinals are willing to entertain offers on the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, there will be interest. But the 33-year-old is under contract through the 2027 season, and the chance to have Arenado spend close to as much time in his Hall of Fame career with the Cardinals as he did with the Colorado Rockies might mean something to the organization.
St. Louis Cardinals @CardinalsNolan Arenado drives in his 10th run of the season.<a href="">#ForTheLou</a> <a href="">
The same could be said for former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt, assuming he rebounds after what's been an uncharacteristically poor April. The difference is Goldschmidt is going to turn 37 in September and can become a free agent after this season.
If the Cardinals plan to take a step back, it might be wise to get something in return for the seven-time All-Star. It's also possible that at this advanced stage of his career, Goldschmidt will want to go somewhere that gives him a chance to chase a World Series title.
Also worth monitoring in St. Louis will be closer Ryan Helsley. He can't become a free agent until after the 2026 season, so the Cardinals might not feel inclined to move him this summer, particularly if they expect to contend in 2025. But you can only throw at or around 100 mph for so long before you get hurt, so if there's a fair trade offer for Helsley, you could definitely make the case for moving him.
Without a doubt, the Cardinals will be one of the most interesting teams to follow this summer, perhaps even more so if they wave the white flag on 2024.
