DENVER -- Back in the city where he first broke into the big leagues some 32 years earlier -- first as the Group 1 batting practice pitcher for former Rockies greats Vinny Castilla, Andres Galarraga and Dante Bichette -- Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak shared a suite with his parents, two sisters, his wife and some family friends on Monday night at Coors Field.
However, two hours before first pitch, he admitted that he was finding it rather difficult to feel much nostalgia with what is coming over the next 10 days before the MLB Trade Deadline hits.
“This is where it all started for me, so it’s cool, but there’s a lot going on right now in the game of baseball, so it’s hard for me to reflect on being back in Denver,” said Mozeliak, who is planning to cede his current role to Chaim Bloom after the season.
Mozeliak has said for weeks that where the Cardinals are positioned in the standings will likely guide the moves that the club makes prior to the July 31 MLB Trade Deadline. A 4-8 slide before the All-Star break certainly didn’t help their chances of making the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and a three-game sweep at the hands of the D-backs coming out of the break was eye-opening for the manner in which they were manhandled by Arizona.
Mozeliak said his first requirement for true contender status comes down to how the Cards are faring in their National League Central, and their slump has coincided with hot streaks from the Cubs, Brewers and Reds. Those two recent trends knocked the Cardinals to 8 1/2 games back in the NL Central race and 3 1/2 games back in the chase for the No. 3 Wild Card.
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“Clearly, the weekend was not what we wanted to see, and now we’ve got to understand what the future looks like for us,” Mozeliak said. “As we reflect on really what's best for the organization, there is the longer view in terms of, ‘Are there decisions that we can make that would better situate the franchise in [2026] and beyond?’
“So, obviously, we have a lot of players that people have interest in, and we have to sort through all that and before we make a determination exactly what this will look like.”
Mozeliak described the Cardinals’ plans as “fluid,” saying a hot stretch in the coming days against the Rockies and Padres could shift the thinking. Mozeliak said he had yet to talk with veterans Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Miles Mikolas -- all owners of no-trade clauses in their contracts -- about whether they want to remain in St. Louis or seek trades that would drop them into World Series-contending situations. Arenado sought such a move in the offseason, but he used his no-trade clause to squash a potential deal to the Astros.
“I will. I haven’t, but that’s something we will have a good understanding of as we enter that final week [before the Trade Deadline],” Mozeliak said of asking Arenado about his wishes to either stay in St. Louis or seek a trade elsewhere. “Right now, I would envision him being a part of this in the future, but if something were to pop up, I would definitely discuss it with him.”
Mozeliak said he “didn’t get the sense” that there had been any change of heart with Contreras or Gray, who informed the front office last winter that they wanted to remain a part of the rebuilding efforts in St. Louis.
The Cardinals' greatest area of power and depth with which to deal from is their bullpen, where top performers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz all have expiring contracts and figure to bring the top returns. Demand for one of those players, such as with Helsley in a market where proven closers are hot commodities, could sway the direction the Cardinals head at the Deadline.
“If there’s something that seems too good to be true or something that makes so much sense, obviously we would pursue that,” Mozeliak said.
The Cardinals dropping to fourth in the NL Central could be the biggest factor in determining how much the club abandons its chase for a 2025 playoff spot and instead focuses on 2026.
“First of all, you got to compete in your division,” he said. “I've always thought you've got to get to the postseason first to worry about winning anything else. And I think we've seen over a three-game series, at times, this team looks like it could win, but that's why we play 162 games. Right now, the club is making future decisions more challenging in the sense of where we thought we were a month ago.”