MLB Trade Rumors: Top 4 St. Louis Cardinals Trade Candidates

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to prove that they are a very unlikely contender for a playoff spot this season. They sit at 21-16, in 4th place in the weak NL Central Division. Their starting pitching staff resembles an old age home (average age 35+), and some of those stars are having terrible seasons.

With the help of former MLB GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic, let's have a look at the top four most likely to be traded Cardinals:

Ryan Helsley

Closers and high-leverage relievers are often changing hands at the trade deadline, and Helsley should be near the top of the list for any team looking for that sort of help down the stretch. In fact, teams have already been calling the Cardinals about the fireballer who is one of the best closers in baseball. He currently sits with a 1.29 ERA and 14 saves.

Paul Goldschmidt

It's been a dreadful year for Goldy, who is an impending free agent. But he'll need to start hitting first if he's to have any trade value. He's currently at .209 with just four home runs and a .592 OPS. He is a 7-time All-Star but will be turning 37 by the end of the season.

Lance Lynn/Kyle Gibson

These two golden oldies come as an entry on this list (though not in a trade), as they are both over 36, long past their primes, but still delivering a so-so season that some teams might see as helpful from an innings-eater perspective. When looking at the team's rotation, no doubt prospective buyers will be shopping in the under-35 aisle first, trying to pry Sonny Gray away from the Cards, as he is having a superb season (his second straight) at the age of 34. He is 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA. Bowden says that St. Louis "will not consider trading him," though if they were to soften their stance, he could certainly bring back a much bigger haul than the others.