The St. Louis Cardinals are heading into the 2023 MLB trade deadline as sellers. With a 45-56 record, it's the most sensible path forward. Stars like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt may not be up for grabs, though not for a lack of interest. The redbirds are seemingly taking this year to reload and try to be more competitive in the future.

The Cardinals have already let it be known that numerous pitchers will be on the move ahead of the Thursday, August 1 deadline, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. They may make moves to clean up their outfield but their stance there is not yet certain.

“Eleven games back in the NL Central, the Cardinals are telling teams they plan to move left-hander Jordan Montgomery, right-hander Jack Flaherty, shortstop Paul DeJong and perhaps right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks, with near major league-ready pitching their target,” writes Passan. “Whether they deal from their surplus of outfielders remains an open question for a market that includes the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Miami Marlins, with Seattle and Minnesota also in tire-kicking mode.”

The availability of Montgomery and Flaherty has been well-known as the trade deadline draws near. They are both on expiring contracts, as is Hicks, while DeJong has club options for each of the next two seasons.

Montgomery has enjoyed a quality season, posting a 3.37 ERA across 115.0 innings. Flaherty has a 4.39 ERA across 104.2 innings this season as he finally is able to remain mostly healthy. The former could serve as a strong middle-of-the-rotation pitcher while Flaherty would best be served near the end of it. Hicks has shown drastic improvement from last season, striking out betters much more frequently and posting a 3.67 ERA.

DeJong has a .728 OPS across 289 plate appearances this season. His hitting is decent but he would be a solid midseason pickip mostly because of his great defense.

The chances of getting to the playoffs, let alone making a run, are slim for the Cardinals. The only reason it might be feasible is that the NL Central lacks a surefire contender ahead of them. Selling now and hoping to bounce back next season isn’t the plan they wanted to take but that’s where they’re at.