Which St. Louis Cardinals could be traded during Trade Deadline? Paul DeJong and Nolan Arenado mentioned among potential names

The St. Louis Cardinals have been trying hard to make up for lost time. However, it looks as though for the reigning NL Central champs, time has all but run out.

After opening the season to a very mediocre 33-46 record, the Red Birds have been playing some good baseball recently. But after finishing the month of July one game over .500, it appears to all be too late.

As such, the St. Louis Cardinals, who occupy the last spot in their division, have had to come to terms with the reality. Before the August 1 trade deadline, they offloaded star starter Jordan Montgomery as well as relievers Chris Strattan and Jordan Hicks also being dealt.

Initially, third baseman and 2022 NL MVP finalist Nolan Arenado was named as a prime trade suspect. The 32-year old has hit .279/.328/.508 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs this season. While some expected the Cards to ship Arenado to a deep-pocketed team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, it now appears unlikely. More still, Arenado still has four seasons left on his $275 million 2019 contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

"John Mozeliak puts an end to the Nolan Arenado trade rumors, saying the #STLCards are 'not trading him' per @dgold" - STL Sports Central

While Arenado may be off the table, the St. Louis Cardinals still have plenty of skilled names that can be swapped for future prospects. Shortstop Paul DeJong is redeeming himself after hitting just .182 in 190 games in 2021 and 2022. The 29-year old will see his contract expire this season, and the Cardinals are unlikely to exercise their 2024 option. The San Francisco Giants appear to be one of the teams most hungry for a middle infielder like DeJong.

On Monday, Jake Mintz of Fox Sports dropped another bombshell by suggesting that the St. Louis Cardinals are shopping 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt has hit .280/.369/.467 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs this season. While these numbers are still impressive, they represent a sharp drop from his numbers last year. A 35-year old with just one year left on his contract, swapping Goldschmidt for some strong young talent may just be a winning move.

"The Yankees have interest in Dylan Carlson as a potential trade target, per @Feinsand" - Talkin' Yanks

Derrick Gould of St. Louis dispatch sports has also revealed that the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are among the teams seemingly interested in switch-hitting center fielder Dylan Carlson. Only 24, Carlson has demonstrated strong fundamentals for his young age. However, an option at the Orioles' farm system, which may be baseball's strongest, is certainly an attractive opportunity for the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals need to start the rebuild soon

While the team is strong on paper, many of their top names like Goldschmidt, Arenado, Willson Contreras, Miles Mikolas, and others only have a few years of good baseball left. As such, the time may have arrived, sooner than many expect, to deal the talent, and invest in the future.