Two Cardinals All-Stars Refusing to Waive No-Trade Clauses


The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to tear it down and start from scratch. 

Insider and former MLB GM Steve Phillips said on MLB Network Radio Monday morning, "The Cardinals are looking to clean house...take it down to zero... for (executive) Chaim Bloom when he takes over next year, to have as clean a slate as possible."

To that end, they would love to rid themselves of their three expensive veterans, though two of them have refused to waive their no-trade clauses. 

They would have traded Sonny Gray (this winter) if he was willing to waive his no trade clause, and they would be willing to trade Willson Contreras if he was willing to waive his no trade clause. 

But so far, no dice on either of them. The other part of their well-over-30s trio, Nolan Arenado, has waived his NTC for at least a certain number of teams. They thought they had a trade with the Houston Astros earlier this winter, but Arenado nixed that one. 

The problem for the Cards is that they really need to rebuild the farm system, which currently ranks 20th or lower among major league teams. They would hope to bring in some prospects with trades of any of those three established, decorated veterans.

St. Louis finished at 83-79 last season, six games back of a Wild Card spot and 10 games back in an always-winnable NL Central Division. And 71 wins in 2023. That's just not the St. Louis way. This is a team that has finished below .500 just that one time in the last 17 years. 

A rebuild is finally on the horizon. Now if only Gray, Contreras and Arenado are ready to play ball, so to speak, the Cardinals can get on with it. 

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