Will the Cardinals begin a complete fire sale of their roster at some point this season?
The St. Louis Cardinals started the season on a strong note, but have since leveled off, putting them in a position to consider selling at the trade deadline.
While trade candidates like Erick Fedde and Ryan Helsley are obvious options, there are some less-expected names who could find themselves in trade discussions — including veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas.
Sporting News’ Nate Duffett recently floated the idea that the Cardinals might explore dealing Mikolas, even suggesting he could become “one of the most sought-after deadline acquisitions” if St. Louis continues to slide in the standings.
“Mikolas is the kind of arm that could bring value to a contender,” Duffett wrote. “Though he may not be reliable enough to crack a playoff rotation, he could serve as a back-end starter down the stretch and shift to a bullpen role come October. While the Cardinals likely won’t get a major return for him, offloading his salary would be a driving factor.”
Despite that potential, Mikolas’ hefty salary and inconsistent performance make him a tough sell. It’s possible he garners little interest unless paired with a higher-value player like Helsley in a package deal.
Still, it would be wise for the Cardinals to gauge the market and see if any club is willing to roll the dice on the veteran right-hander.
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