Cardinals Urged To Trade Breakout Star Pitcher

The St. Louis Cardinals seemed primed to rebuild this season which would have seen them trading away a lot of their expiring assets while holding onto their controllable players.

But St. Louis has won a lot more than anybody expected, which puts them in a bit of a tough spot at the trade deadline. Should they still sell? Or should they try to contend?

Curt Bishop of Redbird Rants recently made the case that the Cardinals should entertain the idea of trading breakout reliever Phil Maton this season.

"This really depends on if they stay in the race. If the Cardinals do stay in contention, then they'll likely want to hold onto one of the top closers in the game," Bishop wrote. "Trading Maton would make more sense.

"They can still get a decent haul of prospects for him. Not to the degree that they would if Helsley were to be traded, but it could still be solid. Better yet, Maton could be used to help the Cardinals upgrade other areas of their roster, such as the starting rotation. They could potentially find another contender that needs a bullpen arm and make a need-for-need trade."

Trading Maton is a tough decision to make. If the Cardinals are serious about contending this season, he's a name they need to keep on the roster, especially with how well he's pitching. But the Cardinals don't seem like serious World Series contenders.

Unless St. Louis can add some serious talent at the trade deadline, they won't be as serious of World Series contenders as it seems. In all likelihood, the teams that are better than the Cardinals right now will make major additions. If the Cardinals don't do that as well, they'll be left behind.

Trading Maton makes sense. It might not be what the St. Louis faithful wants to hear, but it's probably the best decision for the franchise.