The St. Louis Cardinals are still trying to find ways to shed payroll ahead of the 2025 season.
With Nolan Arenado shutting down a potential trade to the Houston Astros, the Cardinals are running out of options to ship away his contract.
As a result, the Cardinals are now looking for new ways to cut costs. One of two starting pitchers (or both) could be on their way out.
FanSided provided a sneak peek at the latest from Will Sammon and Katie Woo for those who do not have a subscription to The Athletic.
"If the Cardinals are unable to find a trade partner, or remain unwilling to eat more of Arenado's salary, they are prepared to pivot to trading away some of their starting pitchers," wrote Sammon and Woo. "This is not the route they prefer, as St. Louis would like to hold on to Erick Fedde until at least the trade deadline. Still, the Cardinals will continue to monitor interest levels on both Fedde and Steven Matz, two pitchers on expiring deals."
This is a big development as the Cardinals have made it clear getting rid of Arenado is the top priority. However, John Mozeliak knows he has to pivot to other options if he can't part with his starting third baseman.
Fedde is set to make $7.5 million in 2025 while Matz has a price tag of $12.5 million. Matz is more than likely the first choice to deal from the Cardinals' perspective since he is owed more.
Matz and Fedde aren't being shopped, but the Cardinals are reportedly listening to offers on both of them.
More MLB: Braves Predicted To Steal $28 Million Infielder From Padres In Free Agency
:quality(85):upscale()/2024/04/24/878/n/3019466/36c5693c662965c5d1ce91.72473705_.jpg)
English (US) ·