St. Louis Cardinals' front office leader expresses disappointment over their current winning streak
Unleashing the Cardinals: The St. Louis Cardinals refuse to play by the rules this season. Initially, the collective baseball minds expected them to stumble and tumble, begging for mercy from April to June. Rumors of trading off star players like Nolan Arenado, Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, Erick Fedde, and even Miles Mikolas were more discussable than the Cardinals' potential for success.
However, the Cardinals have defied the odds, owning a 33-26 record before June 3rd. They're nipping at the heels of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, and if playoffs started today, they'd snatch the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
The St. Louis Cardinals are flipping the script, turning buyers rather than sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline.
Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the news, leaving rival general managers and executives disheartened. Teams were hoping to nab Ryan Helsley, the franchise's save leader and a two-time All-Star closer, after the Cardinals held on to him in the offseason. Helsley found his footing in May, pensioning off nine saves, striking out 13, and maintaining a 2.45 ERA in 11 games.
Matz, Fedde, and Gray, protagonists in the preseason trade talks, were thought to be easy pickings. Contending teams coveted Matz, who's been a swingman sensation this year, and he'd no doubt bolster any team's final push towards the postseason according to Passan.
If the Cardinals go through a rocky June, the story might revert back to its original script, trading off the expiring contracts to reap future assets.
Instead, the Cardinals are determined to bolster their roster, giving a cold shoulder to opposing teams looking for facelifts in their bullpens. The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers may need to reconsider their options or get ready to steal some of the Cardinals' thunder in trade negotiations.
For a club that wasn't supposed to contend and was instead slated as a collection of valuable trade pieces, the Cardinals have drastically switched gears this season. They're aiming to add key players at the trade deadline to fuel their playoff aspirations, proving yet again that they're not your typical underspected team.
The St. Louis Cardinals, defying expectations, are planning to bolster their roster instead of trading off star players like Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz at the MLB Trade Deadline. In light of their impressive 33-26 record before June 3rd and their potential playoff contention, sports analysts might need to re-evaluate the Cardinals as a formidable force in Major League Baseball.
