<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-overlooked-pitching-prospect-could-become-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals’ overlooked pitching prospect who could become a star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Darlin-Saladin.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals’ overlooked pitching prospect who could become a star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-25T07:51:10-07:00">October 25th, 7:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-25T07:51:10-07:00">October 25th, 7:51am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a disappointing season that ended without a playoff berth — and with rumors swirling about a potential Nolan Arenado deal that would almost certainly mark the first step of a rebuild — the St. Louis Cardinals may have quietly found a glimpse of their future in Darlin Saladin, the 22-year-old right-hander dominating the Arizona Fall League. Once an unranked name <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-assistant-part-ways-2025-season">in the Cardinals organization</a>, he has turned a frustrating year into a desert revival that’s now catching national attention.</p><p>Baseball America took to its X (formerly Twitter) account to highlight his recent surge and <a href="https://x.com/BaseballAmerica/status/1981722948080632029" rel="noopener">the growing buzz</a> among scouts Friday afternoon.</p><p>“Darlin Saladin is turning heads in the AFL</p><p>The 22-year-old righthander has recorded seven consecutive scoreless innings – including his performance on Thursday where tossed a perfect fifth inning.”</p><p>Since that post, his streak has only grown. Headed into Saturday, he has thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings for the Glendale Desert Dogs, tying for the AFL lead with a 0.00 ERA. In his latest outing, he struck out six across three innings while touching 96 mph with his fastball and flashing improved command of his secondary pitches throughout the start.</p><p>For a franchise seeking young, controllable pitching, this run matters. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 for $200,000, Saladin climbed the system behind a lively fastball-slider mix that once drew Johnny Cueto comparisons. His 2024 campaign between Palm Beach and Peoria featured a 2.71 ERA and 27 percent strikeout rate, but a dip in command last season led to a 4.80 ERA and an uncertain future.</p><p>Now, under the Arizona sun, that uncertainty is turning into momentum. Scouts point to sharper breaking stuff and improved strike efficiency, along with a more balanced delivery that keeps him in rhythm deeper into outings. His fastball has regained late life, and his slider is producing consistent whiffs again. This resurgence has turned heads not only inside the organization but across the league, where evaluators now view him as a legitimate breakout candidate.</p><p>If this dominance continues, Saladin could push into the rotation conversation by spring or emerge as a multi-inning bullpen weapon capable of handling high-leverage innings. His path mirrors <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-eliminated-playoff-contention-loss-giants">what the Cardinals have been missing</a> — development built on resilience, not reputation.</p><p>In a system searching for pitching answers and internal growth, his resurgence offers something rare — genuine hope for the future of the pitching staff.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ overlooked pitching prospect who could become a star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-perfect-trade-offer-for-cardinals-nolan-arenado');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ perfect trade offer for Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cubs-perfect-trade-offer-for-Cardinals-Nolan-Arenado.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs’ perfect trade offer for Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-19T13:40:05-07:00">October 19th, 1:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-19T13:40:05-07:00">October 19th, 1:40pm</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Chicago Cubs look to solidify their roster and contend for an NL Central title, the glaring weakness at third base calls for a bold solution. Enter Nolan Arenado: the veteran All-Star, elite defender, and proven power bat who could transform the Cubs’ lineup overnight. With the Cardinals embarking on a rebuild and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-offers-thoughts-future-st-louis">Arenado openly considering his future</a>, the conditions are set for one of the most stunning intra-division trades in recent memory. This article explores how the Cubs can craft the perfect proposal to persuade St. Louis to part ways with Arenado—addressing financial hurdles, offering premium prospects, and respecting the complexities of player movement between heated rivals.​</p><h2>Why Nolan Arenado is the Answer to Cubs’ Third Base Woes</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nolan-Arenado-during-Cardinals-Giants-game.jpg"><figcaption>Eakin Howard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite efforts to patch the hot corner, the Cubs have cycled through options like Matt Shaw and Gage Workman with limited results, leaving a cavernous hole both offensively and defensively. Arenado, even as his numbers dip amid age and injuries, remains one of baseball’s most reliable gloves—his 10 Gold Gloves and eight All-Star nods speak for themselves. He’s posted a .285 career average, 341 home runs, and 1,132 RBIs.​</p><p>Though 2025 has seen his lowest OPS as a Cardinal (.669), the environment in Chicago could offer Arenado a fresh start for a contender. Cubs President Jed Hoyer has emphasized the club’s Major League-ready pipeline, positioning Chicago to absorb the financial and prospect cost of a superstar addition without gutting its future. Arenado’s contract ($27 million in 2026, $15 million in 2027, plus deferred payments and Rockies offsets) is sizable but not prohibitive for a win-now team.​</p><p>More importantly, Arenado’s shifting stance on his no-trade clause this winter opens the door for Chicago to make a substantial offer. Division rival deals remain rare, but the Cardinals’ leadership transition and looming rebuild push the franchise toward pragmatic big-picture moves.​</p><h2>Keys to Making the Perfect Cubs-Cardinals Trade Work</h2><p>To convince St. Louis, the Cubs must check three boxes: absorb salary, send a premium prospect package, and be sensitive to Arenado’s preferences.</p><h2>Financial Commitment and Optics</h2><p>The Cardinals reportedly expect to pay a substantial chunk of Arenado’s remaining salary—potentially up to $32 million of the $42 million left across the next two seasons—to ensure a viable market. This reduces the net cost for Chicago to roughly $10 million annually for 2026-2027, less than the average starter’s value. Cubs ownership, seeking relevance and postseason exposure, can take on this contract—especially with the Rockies contributing deferred payments.​</p><h2>Blue-Chip Prospect Return</h2><p>Arenado is still a franchise-caliber piece. The Cubs’ loaded farm system allows Chicago to create a powerful, multi-player package. Owen Caissie (OF), Moisés Ballesteros (C), and Kevin Alcántara (OF) headline MLB’s top 100 prospect rankings, with several rising arms like Jaxon Wiggins (RHP) and Jefferson Rojas (SS) offering upside. The perfect proposal merges near-ready impact players—aligned with the Cardinals’ desire to replenish their core.​</p><h2>Arenado’s No-Trade Clause and Incentives</h2><p>While division swaps are rare, Arenado’s recent comments suggest growing openness to a deal. The Cubs would need to offer both a competitive roster guarantee and incentives, potentially including opt-out opportunities or agreed-upon charitable contributions, to win his waiver.​</p><h2>Cubs’ Perfect Trade Offer</h2><p>The ideal proposal for the Cubs to acquire Nolan Arenado would involve:</p><p><b>Cubs receive:</b></p><ul><li>Nolan Arenado (3B)</li><li>Cardinals cover $32 million of the remaining salary on Arenado’s deal</li></ul><p><b>Cardinals receive:</b></p><ul><li>Owen Caissie (OF)</li><li>Moises Ballesteros (C)</li><li>Kevin Alcantara (OF)</li><li>Jaxon Wiggins (RHP)</li></ul><p>This offer balances the Cardinals’ rebuild needs—adding two top 100 position prospects and an advanced pitching talent—while the Cubs secure an instant lineup upgrade and postseason-tested veteran for their next playoff push.</p><p>Moving Nolan Arenado to the Cubs is more than a blockbuster; it’s a signal that both organizations are embracing their competitive timelines. The Cubs’ willingness to pay for superstar impact, plus their unmatched prospect depth, allows Chicago to make a bid few other franchises can replicate. For St. Louis, adding outfield and catching talent accelerates the youth movement, softens payroll burdens, and sets up the next era with flexibility.​</p><p>Arenado, now more receptive to trade scenarios, can chase another ring with a franchise ready to win—while the Cubs create the division’s fiercest left side with Arenado anchoring the hot corner. It may not be the most comfortable rivalry transaction, but it’s the perfect answer for two teams at crosswinds in the National League Central.</p><p>In the end, Cubs fans get their star. Cardinals fans get their future. And Arenado gets his chance to shine where October lights burn brightest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ perfect trade offer for Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-perfect-trade-offer-for-cardinals-nolan-arenado');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ perfect trade offer for Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Yankees-perfect-trade-offer-for-Cardinals-Nolan-Arenado.jpg"></figure><h1>Yankees’ perfect trade offer for Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-19T13:39:01-07:00">October 19th, 1:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-19T13:39:01-07:00">October 19th, 1:39pm</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Yankees find themselves in a familiar position heading into the 2025-26 offseason: searching for upgrades to push them back to championship contention. After another <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-fans-rip-devin-williams-game-4-disaster">disappointing exit in the American League Division Series</a>, the front office has identified third base as a key area of need. Enter St. Louis Cardinals veteran Nolan Arenado, the 10-time Gold Glove winner who has become <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-offers-thoughts-future-st-louis">increasingly open to waiving his no-trade clause</a> as the Cardinals embark on a multi-year rebuild.​</p><p>This potential marriage of convenience presents an opportunity for both franchises to address their respective needs. The Yankees require an established veteran at third base with championship pedigree, while the Cardinals are focused on accumulating prospects and shedding payroll as they transition under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. With Arenado naming the Yankees as one of his approved trade destinations last offseason, the foundation for a deal exists.​</p><h2>Why Nolan Arenado Makes Sense for the Yankees</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nolan-Arenado.jpg"><figcaption>© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Yankees’ third base situation deteriorated significantly in 2025 when they designated two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu for assignment in July. Since then, the team has relied on a patchwork solution of utility infielders that simply won’t cut it for a franchise with World Series aspirations. While Arenado is no longer the offensive force who hit 38 home runs in 2019, he still provides significant value both offensively and defensively.​</p><p>In 2025, Arenado posted a .237 batting average with 12 home runs and a .666 OPS across 97 games. While these numbers represent a decline from his peak years, they still offer more production than what the Yankees received from their third base position down the stretch. More importantly, Arenado’s defensive excellence remains intact. His ability to make highlight-reel plays at the hot corner would immediately upgrade the Yankees’ infield defense, providing stability to a roster that needs it.​</p><p>The 34-year-old third baseman also brings intangible qualities that align with the Yankees’ championship culture. His postseason experience and veteran leadership would complement Aaron Judge’s presence in the clubhouse, providing another established voice in a locker room seeking its first World Series title since 2009. At $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027, Arenado’s contract is manageable for a Yankees franchise with substantial payroll flexibility.​</p><h2>What the Cardinals Need in Return</h2><p>St. Louis’ priorities under Chaim Bloom are crystal clear: rebuild the farm system and acquire young, controllable pitching. The Cardinals have already signaled their willingness to absorb financial obligations to facilitate trades, as evidenced by their deadline deals in 2025. For an Arenado trade to work, the Yankees would need to offer a package centered around pitching prospects with upside, while the Cardinals would likely need to eat a portion of Arenado’s remaining salary.​</p><p>The Cardinals’ starting pitching depth was exposed in 2025, making arms with mid-rotation potential particularly valuable. Additionally, Bloom has emphasized the importance of adding pitching that can contribute for multiple years, not just quick fixes. The Yankees’ farm system, while not as deep as it once was, still contains several intriguing pitching prospects who could fit the Cardinals’ timeline and needs.​</p><h2>The Perfect Trade Proposal</h2><p>Yankees Receive:</p><ul><li>3B Nolan Arenado</li></ul><p>Cardinals Receive:</p><ul><li>RHP Carlos Lagrange</li><li>RHP Brendan Beck</li><li>1B/C Ben Rice</li><li>$10 million</li></ul><p>This proposal addresses both teams’ core objectives while maintaining fairness for both sides. For the Yankees, they acquire an established third baseman who provides immediate defensive value and veteran leadership without surrendering their top prospect, shortstop George Lombard Jr.. The financial contribution of $10 million reduces Arenado’s effective cost to $17 million in 2026 and $5 million in 2027, making him a value play for a team with championship aspirations.​</p><p>For St. Louis, this package delivers exactly what Bloom has prioritized: young pitching with significant upside. Carlos Lagrange, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, emerged as one of the Yankees’ breakout pitching prospects in 2025, showcasing a 65-grade fastball that touches the upper-90s along with multiple quality breaking pitches. At just 21 years old, Lagrange projects as a mid-rotation starter who could contribute to the Cardinals’ rotation as soon as 2026.​</p><p>Brendan Beck adds another arm with major league experience and upside. The 2021 second-round pick posted impressive numbers in Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, earning his way back onto the Yankees’ top prospect lists. Beck’s polished three-pitch mix gives him a realistic floor as a back-end starter with potential for more.​</p><p>Ben Rice represents the wildcard in this package. The 26-year-old slugger hit .248 with 26 home runs and an .836 OPS in his first full MLB season. While he’s blocked in New York behind established stars, Rice provides St. Louis with a cost-controlled power bat who can play both first base and catcher. As the Cardinals transition away from aging veterans, Rice offers immediate offensive production at positions where the team needs depth.​</p><p>The $10 million cash consideration sweetens the deal for St. Louis, effectively allowing them to acquire three controllable assets while reducing their financial commitment to just $32 million over two years. This aligns perfectly with the Cardinals’ stated goal of cutting payroll while stockpiling young talent for their rebuild.​</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ perfect trade offer for Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-assistant-part-ways-2025-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals, assistant part ways after 2025 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cardinals-Coach.jpg"><figcaption>D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals, assistant part ways after 2025 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-17T09:32:44-07:00">October 17th, 9:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-17T09:32:44-07:00">October 17th, 9:32am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite missing the playoffs for the third-straight season, the St. Louis <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-st-louis-decision-oliver-marmol-2026">Cardinals decided to retain manager Oli Marmol</a> for the 2026 season. However, his the organization is still set to undergo plenty of changes entering their next campaign.</p><p>Joe McEwing, who was serving as a special assistant to president John Mozeliak, <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1979198126574522710" rel="noopener">has parted ways</a> with the team, via Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. He previously served as St. Louis’ bench coach in 2023.</p><p>McEwing has been a coach since the 2008 season, beginning with the Chicago White Sox. He had an illustrious MLB career of his own, spanning nine years. If he wants to continue coaching or working in a major league front office, it seems likely that an opening will be available to McEwing.</p><p>But as for the Cardinals, they are preparing for life without Mozeliak. After 18 seasons of president of baseball operations, he has decided to step now. Now, former Boston Red Sox general manager <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-chaim-bloom-set-to-lead-st-louis-rebuild">Chaim Bloom will be taking over</a>.</p><p>What that means for the roster is yet to be seen. However, plenty of the team’s top veterans such as Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado have seen their name in trade rumors. St. Louis knew there needed to be some changes amidst their playoff drought.</p><p>The Cardinals watched the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers advance to the postseason. It’s going to take quite the turnaround to compete. Whether St. Louis enters a full-on rebuilding phase is still up for debate. But wherever the Cardinals head, McEwing will be watching from afar.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals, assistant part ways after 2025 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-yadier-molina-attention-catching-manager-declaration');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ex-Cardinals’ Yadier Molina makes attention-catching manager declaration');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Former-catcher-of-the-St.-Louis-Cardinals-Yadier-Molina.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ex-Cardinals’ Yadier Molina makes attention-catching manager declaration</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-16T10:33:40-07:00">October 16th, 10:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-16T10:47:17-07:00">October 16th, 10:47am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-yadier-molina-reveals-what-he-misses-about-playing-baseball">Yadier Molina retired from MLB</a> almost immediately after the 2022 season. The former St. Louis Cardinals catcher appears to be enjoying retirement so far. Despite that, it seems he’s ready to return to baseball for the 2026 season.</p><p>Molina, who is 43 years old, announced on a post on Instagram that he <a href="https://x.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1978859693721133082" rel="noopener">wants to return to baseball</a> as a coach or manager. He claims that he’s open to any opportunities available in MLB, Mexico, or whichever league will have him, via Robert Murray of FanSided.</p><p>“Throughout my career, I’ve had countless satisfactions both on and off the field,” said Molina. “After three years away from the lines, I’m ready to return to the field – whether as a coach or manager – in MLB, Mexico, or wherever I can continue my baseball career, contributing and giving back to the sport I’m passionate about.”</p><p>With Molina announcing his interest in coaching or being a manager, reports indicate that the Cardinals <a href="https://x.com/dgoold/status/1978858612215714202" rel="noopener">have been in contact</a> with the nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It’s said that manager Oli Marmol <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-yadier-molina-intriguing-opportunity">invited Yadier Molina to the dugout</a> in the 2025 season.</p><p>“In a post on Instagram, Yadier Molina says he’s ‘ready’ to return as a coach or manager. This echoes what he said in St. Louis this past season, but moves it up a year. Many jobs [are] open. Cards [manager] Oli Marmol invited Molina to [the] dugout this season, and Cardinals have remained in touch.”</p><p>Yadier Molina is regarded as one of MLB’s best catchers in league history. On top of the nine Gold Glove wins as a catcher, he is also a four-time Platinum Glove Award winner, a Silver Slugger Award winner, a 10-time All-Star, and a two-time World Series champion.</p><p>Through the 19 years played with the Cardinals, Molina owned a .277 batting average and .327 OBP while recording 2,168 hits (third all-time in Cardinals history), 176 home runs, and 1,022 RBIs. Yadier Molina will become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ex-Cardinals’ Yadier Molina makes attention-catching manager declaration

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-st-louis-decision-oliver-marmol-2026');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Cardinals made right decision bringing Oliver Marmol back for 2026');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/St.-Louis-Cardinals-manager-Oliver-Marmol.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Cardinals made right decision bringing Oliver Marmol back for 2026</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-07T13:57:22-07:00">October 7th, 1:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-07T14:34:02-07:00">October 7th, 2:34pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-oli-marmol-will-not-be-fired">Cardinals are set to bring manager Oliver Marmol back</a> for the 2026 season. The Cardinals have not reached the postseason since 2022 — which happened to be Marmol’s first year as the team’s manager. From 2023-2025, St. Louis has only finished with a winning record once. In 2025, the Cardinals earned only 78 wins en route to another campaign without reaching the postseason.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-oli-marmol-doesnt-give-two-ss-about-hot-seat-rumors">Rumors of Marmol’s possible departure</a> swirled as a result. Would three consecutive seasons without reaching the playoffs be enough for the team to consider a change? Well, as mentioned, the Cardinals decided to bring back the manager and give him another opportunity.</p><h2><b>Cardinals believe in Olivier Marmol as the manager</b></h2><p>Before we get into why the Cardinals made the right decision, let’s take a look at what president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom <a href="https://x.com/KMOXSports/status/1975655370933616968" rel="noopener">said about</a> Marmol, via KMOX Sports.</p><p>“When I was in town, I’d get together with him,” Bloom said. “Sometimes I’d pop in the office. But sometimes we’d get together away from the field and just talk baseball. Talk about the club. Pick his brain. I wanted him to know, ‘Look, I’m gonna be here for you. I will be available if there’s anything you want from me, you need my opinion, you wanna know how I feel about something, I’ll be here. But I’m not gonna try to run interference on what you’re doing.</p><p>“And through that, we were able to talk about a lot of things. Build a good relationship. We get deeper in the summer and now, as we’re getting closer to the transition, I start talking to him about how I’m seeing things, where I think we need to go and how I think we need to get there. And just felt a lot of alignment there. So, at the end of the day, those things are so important.”</p><p>The Cardinals want a manager who can lead the way. Bloom and St. Louis clearly have confidence in Marmol.</p><p>“It’s obviously a relationship that grows over time, where you build trust over time. But in terms of feeling like we are aligned in where we need to go, I think that’s there. And I’ve been impressed just by how these guys play for him and how the group has responded to his leadership.”</p><p>Marmol has had ups and downs, but St. Louis is hopeful that he can turn things around soon.</p><h2><b>Yes, it is the right decision… For now</b></h2><p>There was certainly an argument to be had for moving on from Marmol. He has missed the postseason in three of his four years as manager, and has endured two losing seasons as well. However, Marmol seems to have the trust of his players. Additionally, St. Louis’ underperformance in 2025 was not all his fault.</p><p>The Cardinals’ pitching was far from ideal this past season. They recorded a 4.29 ERA — a mark that was good for 21st in the big leagues. The starting pitching was especially inconsistent.</p><p>If the ball club can bring in a more reliable all-around starting rotation, the team’s overall performance will improve. It’s difficult to blame all of the pitching woes on Marmol.</p><p>If the Cardinals continue to struggle over the next couple of seasons, moving on from the manager will emerge as a legitimate option. For now, trusting Marmol is the correct decision, however.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Cardinals made right decision bringing Oliver Marmol back for 2026

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/why-cardinals-must-trade-nolan-arenado-this-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Cardinals must trade Nolan Arenado this offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Why-Cardinals-must-trade-Nolan-Arenado-this-offseason.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Jeff Curry</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Cardinals must trade Nolan Arenado this offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-07T10:58:49-07:00">October 7th, 10:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-07T10:58:49-07:00">October 7th, 10:58am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris used to manage the betting team at ClutchPoints and now contributes about the NFL, MLB, NCAA Sports, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off another nail-biting season where they fell short of the postseason.</p><p>Outside of a few areas, nothing really stood out from the 2025 team. Over the course of 162 games, every team will find ways to grind out wins. The Cardinals were able to do that without a true superstar offensively. Sonny Gray even had an off year to his elite standards. There was a recent rumor that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/mlb-rumors-cardinals-predicted-to-trade-sonny-gray-to-braves">Cardinals could trade Gray to the Atlanta Braves</a>.</p><p>Manager Oli Marmol did a decent job considering the circumstances. Nobody played more than 135 games. Alec Burleson led the team in batting average at .290 and OPS at .801. Brendan Donovan led the team offensively with only a 2.7 WAR, and Wilson Contreras led with 20 home runs. Those are all good numbers for players if you are the 4th, 5th, or even 6th best hitter in the lineup. If those are your stars, that is not a recipe for success.</p><p>Nolan Arenado has been one of the game’s best players since early on in his career. He started with the Colorado Rockies in 2013 and has been a defensive wizard ever since. He added a power bat in Colorado, but his time in St. Louis hasn’t been as elite. Arenado was traded to the Cardinals in 2021 after signing an 8-year deal with the Rockies in 2020. He won’t be a free agent until 2028.</p><p>In 2025, Arenado hit only .237 with a .666 OPS. He ended with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, 1.3 WAR, and 48 runs scored in 107 games. This was only the second time in his career that he finished shy of 100 hits.</p><h2><b>Why Cardinals Must Trade Nolan Arenado</b></h2><p>With how the Cardinals are set up, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/1-disappointing-player-cardinals-must-trade-in-offseason">trading Arenado this offseason may be the best option</a> for the ball club’s future. The team will continue to play competitive ball with him on the roster; however, the ceiling is low. Their championship-contending window is not open, and the team can benefit from offloading the contract and receiving other players in return.</p><p>Before the season ended, Arenado explained that he is aware that his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-offers-thoughts-future-st-louis" rel="noopener">future in St. Louis is up in the air</a>. He did not know if the final home game would be his last at Busch Stadium.</p><p>“I definitely come to the ballpark with it in mind – this could be the last time playing at home,” Arenado said. “I would like to go out there and compete, have good at-bats, play some good defense, and at least give them something good to remember.”</p><p>It’s unlikely that Arenado will finish his contract with the Red Birds. He was a trade candidate ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline, but the team decided to hold on to him, despite trading other key players on the roster like Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz.</p><p>There are teams in need of a third baseman who would be willing to take on the final two years of his contract to improve their defense at the hot corner. The Cardinals should consider making the move and revamping the roster before next season. The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, and Miami Marlins come to mind as teams in need of a third baseman.</p><p>The 2025 free agent class is stacked with talent. The Cardinals could be in a position to make serious roster moves to either improve their roster to avoid rebuilding, or they could go the rebuilding route. Trading away Arenado would free up money to help potentially sign some of these star players.</p><p>At age 34, Arenado’s best seasons are behind him. He can still contribute to a winning team, but if he is expected to be the Cardinals’ best player, then that won’t lead to any real success. It may be time to move on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Cardinals must trade Nolan Arenado this offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-st-louis-free-agent-pursue-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 free agent Cardinals must pursue this offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-free-agent-Cardinals-must-pursue-this-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 free agent Cardinals must pursue this offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-04T09:27:56-07:00">October 4th, 9:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-04T09:27:56-07:00">October 4th, 9:27am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals were considered to be a consistent contending ball club not that long ago. The past few years have not gone according to plan in St. Louis, however, as the Cardinals have not reached the postseason since 2022. Following another <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-biggest-disappointment-after-missing-mlb-playoffs">difficult season in 2025</a>, the Cardinals may be considering a rebuild. Regardless of whether or not they choose to rebuild, pursuing one specific free agent this offseason makes sense for St. Louis.</p><p>There will be a number of talented free agents available during the upcoming offseason. Arizona Diamondbacks star Zac Gallen did not pitch up to his lofty expectations in 2025, but he may be the perfect pitcher to pursue for this Cardinals ball club.</p><h2><b>Why Zac Gallen?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Zac-Gallen.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><p>Gallen’s contract year did not go according to plan. Not only did Arizona miss the postseason, but the right-handed hurler pitched to a lackluster 4.83 ERA across 192 innings of work. He also struck out 175 hitters in his 33 appearances.</p><p>The Cardinals desperately need a reliable ace. Sure, Gallen was not necessarily reliable in 2025, but he did pitch in over 30 games — something he has accomplished in three of the past four years. Gallen has also recorded an ERA of 3.65 or lower in three of the past four seasons.</p><p>The underlying numbers suggest that Gallen could get back on track in 2026. He surrendered a 43 hard-hit percentage in 2025 — which is only a couple of percentage points above his career 41.2 hard-hit percentage. The statistic that may tell the story is the fly-ball rate Gallen finished with.</p><p>Opposing batters hit the ball in the air 30.3 percent of the time this past season — the highest mark of Gallen’s career. The result? A career-worst 3.8 home run percentage and 31 total home runs surrendered.</p><p>Gallen’s strikeout rate declined a bit as well, but he could become an All-Star caliber pitcher once again in 2026 by simply keeping the ball on the ground more.</p><p>At 30 years old, there is a chance Gallen will want a long-term deal. There is an argument for Gallen to seek a one-year prove-it contract, but the Cardinals could still make things work. Perhaps he would be open to signing a two or three-year contract with a player option.</p><h2><b>Cardinals’ starting pitching woes</b></h2><p>St. Louis finished 2025 with a 4.29 team ERA — which was 21st in the big leagues. The Cardinals’ starters all seemed to struggle. Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas both finished with ERAs worse than 4.00.</p><p>As mentioned earlier, St. Louis clearly needs a reliable ace at the top of the rotation. Signing a pitcher such as Gallen to a long-term deal would give them a quality starter for years to come. However, it does remain to be seen if Gallen will want a long-term contract this offseason.</p><p>If the money is right, perhaps he will consider signing a multi-year contract. Even in that scenario, Gallen’s deal may not be quite as expensive as other star pitchers given his 2025 struggles. What some may consider an over-pay could prove to be a steal for the Cardinals if Gallen returns to form.</p><p>Zac Gallen would not solve all of the Cardinals’ roster concerns. The team would still need to add rotation depth and more bats on offense. With that being said, signing a pitcher with a high-ceiling like Gallen could be a pivotal step toward returning to the postseason.</p><p>There will likely be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/1-free-agent-orioles-must-pursue-offseason">competition when it comes to pursuing Gallen</a>. The Cardinals should still consider at least checking in with the veteran pitcher this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 free agent Cardinals must pursue this offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-biggest-disappointment-after-missing-mlb-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals’ biggest disappointment after missing MLB playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cardinals-biggest-disappointment-after-missing-MLB-playoffs.jpg?w=1024"></figure><h1>Cardinals’ biggest disappointment after missing MLB playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-02T16:08:26-07:00">October 2nd, 4:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-02T16:08:26-07:00">October 2nd, 4:08pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ending the season on a four-game losing streak, it’s clear that the 2025 campaign was a disappointment <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-st-louis-future-trade-rumors">for the St. Louis Cardinals.</a> A 78-84 record won’t cut it under the Gateway Arch. For a team that’s one of the most successful franchises in MLB history, it’s clear that the Cardinals have a lot of work ahead of them. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom made his first big decision on Tuesday, deciding to retain current manager Oliver “Oli” Marmol for the 2026 season.</p><p>Now, Marmol and Bloom will need to figure out how to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-oli-marmol-will-not-be-fired">improve the Cardinals’ current roster.</a> Most of the lineup is filled with youngsters. By season’s end, the lone starter over 30 in the field was third baseman Nolan Arenado. Catcher/first baseman Willson Contreras is the other over-30 regular, but he ended the 2025 season on the IL.</p><p>A young lineup filled with talented players such as shortstop Masyn Winn, first baseman Alec Burleson, and utilityman Brendan Donovan should be in the midst of a playoff hunt. For most of the season, the Cardinals were on the outskirts of the playoff picture. Despite all of their young talent, many of those players, such as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-jordan-walker-stuns-giants-walk-off-hit-complete-rally">outfield trio of Jordan Walker,</a> Victor Scott II, and Lars Nootbaar, failed to take the next steps forward in their development to contribute regularly. Because of this, St. Louis was doomed to fall short of the postseason. Will 2026 be a season of change at Busch Stadium, or will these young contributors continue to stagnate?</p><h2><b>Lack of development from Cardinals’ youngsters leaves questions for 2026</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/St-Louis-Cardinals-right-fielder-Jordan-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In addition to their outfield trio, the rest of the starting lineup outside of Arenado is under 30. Nootbaar (28), catcher Pedro Pages (27), and first baseman Alec Burleson (26) are the only starters over 25. The rest of the lineup is 25 and younger. While it’s great that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-walker-returns-donovan-update-nootbaar-rest">Cardinals have so many young contributors,</a> their collective lack of growth this season almost doomed the historic franchise from the start. While Burleson (.290 in 139 games), designated hitter Ivan Herrera (.287), and Winn (.253) hit over .250, the rest of their young starters failed to hit that mark.</p><p>Walker (.215), Scott II (.216), Nootbaar (.234), Pages (.230), and infielder Nolan Gorman (.205) struggled despite <a href="https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/stats/games" rel="noopener">all playing over 100 games.</a> While Marmol frequently used platoons to help balance the lineup, those performances from four key players aren’t acceptable from a playoff team. Walker and Gorman used to be among the team’s best prospects. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-victor-scott-ii-dripping-with-confidence-ahead-of-2025-season">Scott II was a first-round pick.</a> Big things have been expected from Nootbaar for years now. Pages is a big part of the team’s catching rotation, along with Contreras and Herrera.</p><p>Yes, Winn, Herrera, Burleson, and Donovan all pulled their weight when in the lineup. So did Contreras, having a throwback year in his third campaign with the Cardinals after seven seasons with their chief rivals, the Chicago Cubs. In order for any potential Bloom plan to work, these young position players need to take the next step in 2026. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-did-john-mozeliak-retire-due-to-fear-of-rebuild">The Cardinals have a host</a> of position player talent in both the minors and on their major league roster. Can Bloom and Marmol help them grow after a disappointing 2025? If not, 2026 might end in the same fashion as this past season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ biggest disappointment after missing MLB playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-oli-marmol-will-not-be-fired');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals’ Oli Marmol will not be fired');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/St.-Louis-Cardinals-manager-Oliver-Marmol-walks-back-to-the-dugout.jpg"><figcaption>Eakin Howard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals’ Oli Marmol will not be fired</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-30T11:10:26-07:00">September 30th, 11:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-30T11:27:58-07:00">September 30th, 11:27am</time><address><a>Bryan Logan</a>Bryan Logan decided to jump into his passion for sports betting in 2022 after spending years in the world of education. With a love for analytics and all sports, he began working on models for daily sports picks. This led him to ClutchPoints in 2023, where he became part of the betting team before transitioning to editorial work.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-eliminated-playoff-contention-loss-giants">missed the playoffs for a third straight season</a>. Regardless, the team has decided not to make a change in the manager. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Marmol<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6676555/2025/09/30/oli-marmol-cardinals-manager-2026/" rel="noopener"> will return as the manager</a> in 2026.</p><p>Marmol’s status has long been in question due to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-announces-front-office-shakeup">major front office changes for the Cardinals</a>. It was more in question after missing the playoffs again. Since 2000, the Cardinals have failed to reach the postseason three straight years just twice. The other stretch was 2016 through 2018, which saw manager Mike Matheny dismissed during the 2018 season.</p><p>Moreover, the Cardinals have had a losing record just three times since the 2000 season. Two of those years have happened under the watch of Marmol as the manager. Marmol took over the job for the 2022 MLB season, and at age 35, was the youngest manager in baseball. The Cardinals made the playoffs his first year, winning 93 games, but were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series.</p><p>Since then, things have not been great in St. Louis. He has missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons, and has just once season over .500. Further, he is now 325-323 as a manager. This gives him the lowest win percentage for a manager since Mike Jorgenson, who managed just 96 games in the 1995 season after Joe Torre was let go.</p><h2><b>How long will Marmol last? </b></h2><p>The Cardinals are not opposed to mid-season changes, but it is rare. The last time they did a mid-season change was 2018, firing Matheny and hiring Mike Shildt. Before that, it was when Joe Torre was fired during the 1995 season.</p><p>Marmol should have a short leash heading into the 2026 campaign. Considering three teams from the division made the playoffs, and there are now six playoff spots, expectations in St. Louis are, at minimum, a playoff berth. Regardless, the Cardinals missed the playoffs by five games this season, with the four other teams in between them and the playoffs. Unless a massive turnaround happens, Marmol may not last long in St. Louis.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ Oli Marmol will not be fired

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/mlb-rumors-cardinals-predicted-to-trade-sonny-gray-to-braves');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Cardinals predicted to trade Sonny Gray to Braves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Sonny-Gray-of-the-St.-Louis-Cardinals.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Cardinals predicted to trade Sonny Gray to Braves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-28T09:55:27-07:00">September 28th, 9:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-28T09:55:27-07:00">September 28th, 9:55am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-st-louis-future-trade-rumors">trade rumors surround the St. Louis Cardinals</a>, there are a few players whose futures fans wonder about regarding pitcher Sonny Gray and veteran Nolan Arenado. With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-eliminated-playoff-contention-loss-giants">Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention</a>, the focus now is on the offseason, but the statuses of the players mentioned are in question.</p><p>While Gray had a no-trade clause in his contract that he exercised last season, he is <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/09/28/mlb-awards-2025-aaron-judge-cal-raleigh-mvp-prediction-odds/86398917007/" rel="noopener">“now open”</a> to being dealt, as said by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who credits The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The expectation is that St. Louis is expected to rebuild, leading to Nightengale predicting that he will be traded, with Gray’s new destination being the Atlanta Braves.</p><p>“Cardinals ace Sonny Gray, who exercised his full no-trade rights this season, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he’s now open to being traded, with the Cardinals expected to further tear down their roster in a rebuild,” Nightengale wrote.</p><p>Looking at Gray’s numbers from this season, he has pitched a 4.28 ERA to go along with 201 strikeouts and a 14-8 record, but the focus for him compared to St. Louis seems to be different. Gray would mention how he came to the team to “win,” and with him being owed $35 million in 2026 and the Cardinals rebuilding, it’s easy to assume a break in the relationship is inevitable.</p><p>“I came here to win,” Gray said.. “I signed here two years ago with the expectation of winning and trying to win, and that hasn’t played out that way, I want to win. And I expect to win.”</p><h2><b>Cardinals are also likely to trade Nolan Arenado</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nolan-Arenado-during-Cardinals-Giants-game.jpg"><figcaption>Eakin Howard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Looking at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-offers-thoughts-future-st-louis">Cardinals’ situation with Arenado</a>, he has expressed that he “has no real interest in staying” with the team, as Nightengale writes. This is a change of pace as Arenado blocked trades to other teams earlier in the year.</p><p>“Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, who rejected trade overtures from the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels, now says he’ll be much more amenable to a trade this winter and has no real interest in staying in St. Louis,” Nightengale wrote.</p><p>“They’ve got to let some of these young guys grow and become players and see what they have,’’ Arenado said.”I don’t know what’s going to happen, but obviously I do believe change is coming as it should.’’</p><p>It remains to be seen where St. Louis sends Gray and Arenado this offseason via trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Cardinals predicted to trade Sonny Gray to Braves

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-st-louis-future-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Willson Contreras comments on Cardinals future amid trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Willson-Contreras.jpg"><figcaption>Aaron Doster-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Willson Contreras comments on Cardinals future amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-28T08:56:05-07:00">September 28th, 8:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-28T08:56:05-07:00">September 28th, 8:56am</time><address><a href="https://pucksandpalms.com">Colby Guy</a>Colby Guy is an Associate Editor covering the NFL and College Football for ClutchPoints. He previously covered hockey for various outlets, including the Associated Press, The Hockey News and The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras had a lot on his mind when asked about the possibility of a trade after the team was eliminated from postseason contention.</p><p>The 33-year-old made it clear that he is <a href="https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/willson-contreras-on-his-future-with-the-cardinals" rel="noopener">willing to stay</a> with the young Cardinals after he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-full-time-position-change">agreed to change positions</a> to make room for young catchers Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages.</p><p>“I’d like to be a part of a young team that needs to have some kind of experience around them,” Contreras said, via Jeff Jones of Cardinals.com. “That’s what I expressed, but I understand the part of the business of the team, and we just came to an agreement there.”</p><p>Contreras has a no-trade clause on his deal, which runs until the end of the 2027 season, and has been unwilling to waive it so far, but he has softened his stance on doing so since having a meeting with incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Still, he would rather stay in St. Louis and help guide this team back to contention before all else.</p><p>“I like challenges,” he explained. “I know that the St. Louis Cardinals have a really good track record of being a winning team. I know that right now we’re not having a really good team — or we’re not having a winning team — but I’d just like to be a part of the process.</p><p>“I understand that it might take three to five years to have a playoff team or a team that can contend to the World Series, and I said even if I don’t make it there, and you guys make it to a World Series, I feel like I can be proud of that, just because I want to help young guys to better develop and have a better idea of what baseball is besides going to analyze stats.”</p><p>Contreras hit 20 home runs and drove in 80 runs for the Cardinals in 135 games before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-willson-contreras-il">sustaining a bicep injury</a>. He will have two more seasons remaining on the contract he signed as a free agent in 2023 heading into next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Matt
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