Cardinals Trade Veterans for Prospects at Deadline

At the 2025 MLB trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals traded expiring contracts of Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, and Phil Maton for a group of prospects including Jesus Baez, Frank Elissalt, Nate Dohm, Mason Molina, Skylar Hales, and Blaze Jordan. President John Mozeliak stated the trades were aimed at long-term organizational success rather than immediate results. Despite outside interest, the Cardinals kept core players Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Nolan Gorman, citing unsatisfactory trade offers. Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray also stayed with the team by exercising no-trade clauses. The incoming prospects were assigned to various minor league levels, with Blaze Jordan regarded as the most MLB-ready. The Cardinals hope these moves will benefit the franchise's future competitiveness.