Cardinals Writer Declares Front Office Is In 'No-Win' Situation With Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals have won nine consecutive games. 2025 was expected to be more of a transition year rather than one in which they would try to compete for a playoff spot.

However, with their winning streak, there isn't a clear direction on where they are headed. They declared a "reset" at the start of last offseason, but they are outperforming their expectations for 2025.

The trade deadline now becomes a little more difficult for St. Louis. Trading players in the middle of a playoff race isn't advised, but even with those pieces, this isn't a World Series contender.

J.T. Buchheit of Redbird Rants discussed how the Cardinals now find themselves caught in between with the deadline approaching.

"The Cardinals and the front office may believe that they owe it to the fans to be competitive in 2025 if they see that window of opportunity. That would sacrifice the team's long-term outlook, as keeping Helsley around until the end of the season would allow him to walk in free agency and give the Cardinals nothing in return. But a playoff push could reenergize a fanbase that has become largely apathetic in recent seasons, as displayed in Busch Stadium III's consistently low attendance figures," Buchheit wrote.

St. Louis needs to pick a lane. On one hand, they would probably rather contend than punt on 2025. On the other hand, they need to stay true to their long-term outlook and set the team up for success in 2026 in beyond.

Buying would further delay a much-needed reset, but selling may not be a popular decision if they are in the race.