Cardinals $44 Million Man Likely Done In St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to be the team to watch ahead of Thursday's Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Although the Cardinals aren't expected to do a complete teardown and firesale, there certainly are pieces that could be on the move. A firesale isn't likely in large part due to no-trade clauses. Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras both have made it clear that they don't want to be moved. Nolan Arenado has a no-trade clause and is up in the air right now. Miles Mikolas has a no-trade clause as well and it would be pretty surprising to see him get moved.

As of writing, the two guys seemingly most likely to be moved are Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz. Helsley is the guy who has been talked about the most. But, Matz has been everything the Cardinals could've hoped for this season. Matz has come out of the bullpen for St. Louis this season, but has made two starts. Overall, Matz has a 3.44 ERA across 32 total appearances. It has been Matz's best season in St. Louis after signing a four-year, $44 million deal.

Matz has been a big help for the Cardinals and has made appearances in back-to-back days on Monday and Tuesday. With the trade deadline coming on Thursday, it seems as though his time in St. Louis is coming to an end. The Athletic's Katie Woo noted that teams have been calling about Matz and one team he reportedly is open to joining is the Toronto Blue Jays.

"Rival clubs continue to call the St. Louis Cardinals regarding their relief pitching trio of Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz," Woo said. "The bullpen market is far from formed. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak is prepared to wait for the right deal, and history suggests he’ll do just that...

"Matz is in the final year of his four-year, $44 million deal he signed with St. Louis before the 2022 season, and hopes to return to a starting role next year. He’s open to being used in both relief and the rotation if traded. Though he’s been used in shorter stints lately, Matz is stretched out to roughly 40 pitches and estimates it would take only a couple of weeks to work up to 80. The Athletic’s Will Sammon identified the Blue Jays as a club looking for a swingman. Matz spent the 2021 season in Toronto, making 29 starts with a 3.82 ERA, and would be open to a reunion."

The Cardinals have decisions to make and are running out of time.