ST. LOUIS – It’s the first time in quite awhile, at least with John Mozeliak as the lead executive, that the St. Louis Cardinals have committed to the seller’s market at the trade deadline.
Mozeliak suggested as early as his All-Star break interview with FOX 2’s Martin Kilcoyne that trades were coming, particularly hoping for ones that could set up the team for next season and beyond.
Weeks later, and just two days before the MLB trade deadline, Mozeliak began to deliver on his comments. The Cardinals moved pitchers Jordan Montgomery, Chris Stratton and Jordan Hicks in two separate deals Sunday for a haul of prospects.
Addressing these trades Sunday, Mozeliak explained what went behind some tough decisions in unfamiliar territory.
“This is a day we hope would never happen in the sense of having to break up our club,” said Mozeliak. “But over the course of the last two weeks, we were taking a look at what the trading deadline could do for us.”
“Obviously, this year has not gone as planned, so we really wanted to focus on what 2024 and beyond might look like,” added Mozeliak. “We felt like the timing would be unique for the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s not a happy moment, but we are certainly excited about the future opportunity we were able to acquire.”
Mozeliak further described the experience of selling as “just awful” and one “I don’t find enjoyable at all” to USA Today Sports columnist Bob Nightengale. “This is a first for me, and I hope it’s a last,” he reportedly added.
As the Cardinals end July with a 47-60 record, they are on pace for one of their worst finishes in nearly a century. Mozeliak said he came to a realization a few weeks ago that selling would be in the team’s best interests.
“The key was to optimize our return as best we could,” said Mozeliak. “What we’ve been able to get in our returns are people that are going to be pitching at our upper levels. We feel like we’ve added some depth that will have immediate impact in 2024, but also there are some longer-range plans.”
As the Cardinals enter the eve of deadline day, Mozeliak says the door for trades hasn’t closed just yet.
“Today was an event,” said Mozeliak on Sunday. “We moved three key players. Do I anticipate more to come? Probably.”
Mozeliak noted that pitching remains a top priority, but after stocking up on arms from Sunday’s trades, they are open to acquiring position players as well.
The trade deadline is 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Keep a close eye on pending free agents Jack Flaherty and Paul DeJong ahead of the deadline. The Cardinals might also consider moving an infielder or outfielder to break up some big-league logjams.