Cardinals Tried Trading 3 All-Stars Ahead Of Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals traded three veterans away ahead of the 2025 Major League Baseball but it sounds like they wanted to make more moves.

This isn't too shocking. Reports popped up left and right about who the Cardinals would move away. The club ended up dealing Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton. Beyond that, USA Today's Bob Nightengale shared that the Cardinals wanted to trade Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Miles Mikolas away, but all three said they didn't want to waive their no-trade clause.

"The Cardinals would have loved to move starters Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas, and first baseman Willson Contreras, too, but all three told the Cardinals they would not waive their no-trade clauses," Nightengale said.

In the lead up to the trade deadline, it was shared that Gray and Contreras both didn't want to be moved. Both were open about the fact.

"I’m going to stay here; I’m not going nowhere,” Contreras said earlier before the deadline. “I’m good here. I already talked to (John Mozeliak) earlier this week, and everything is still the same.

“It’s a business, and (Mozeliak) doesn’t seem like he wants to trade me. He said 'no' and I said 'no,' so we’re good.”

There wasn't much said about Mikolas, but this just confirms that all three wanted to stick around with St. Louis. It's been an up-and-down season but there's enough talent to at least make the next few months fun.