Struggling Cardinals, Blue Jays among 3 teams that could spark life into the MLB trade deadline

It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the trade deadline. And as San Diego Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller showed when acquiring two-time All-Star Luis Arraez earlier this month, the same is true for front offices.

Around Memorial Day, executives begin to evaluate their rosters, both in terms of their team’s strengths and also areas where they may look to improve. With the introduction of the second wild-card team, teams may be more likely to see where they are before deciding definitively if they want to buy or sell.

The three teams below are each in a unique position with one in a rebuild and the other two on the precipice of a potential major shakeup.

And each could have a big impact on this year’s trade deadline on July 30.

Biggest trade piece: RHP Mason Miller

The Oakland A’s came into the season much maligned after team owner John Fisher officially announced the team’s plans to temporarily move from Oakland to Sacramento before eventually landing in Las Vegas. But since the start of season, Oakland has played better than expected considering the team is still rebuilding and the off-field stadium issues.

But the best thing to come out of Oakland this season has been rookie fireballer Mason Miller, who has turned into maybe the most dominant closer in baseball. Miller, who owns a 0.89 ERA, is 9-for-9 in save opportunities and his 103 mph fastball is getting lots of attention around baseball.

With Miller dominating at this level and Oakland still a ways away from reaching the postseason, it’s fair to wonder if Oakland would shop their electric closer, even this early in his career. Historically, teams who aren’t ticketed for October usually aren’t keeping their closers around, especially one as dominant and electric as Miller.

Sources have confirmed to Yahoo Sports that Miller has come up in preliminary conversations around the league. As the trade deadline gets closer, Miller could become the type of player who’s acquisition changes a playoff race.

The benefit for Oakland is it has leverage and the longer it waits, the more teams will need that impact arm. It will likely take a haul to get him, but for a team like the Baltimore Orioles who has the pieces and the need, it may be the move to help them get over the hump and reach the World Series.

Biggest trade pieces: 3B Nolan Arenado, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, RHP Ryan Helsley

It wasn’t supposed to look this bad in St. Louis when they decided to go for it, but after losing 91 games last year, things have not gotten better. St. Louis currently sits at the bottom of the NL Central and while the franchise isn’t one that usually goes into rebuild mode, after deciding not to go full rebuild last season, it may be time to reconsider that position.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado and first baseman Paul Goldschdit are two of the bigger names in baseball, but their production over the last two seasons has not lived up to their star status. This season, each has taken significant steps back and, after catcher Willson Contreras broke his arm earlier this month, it has put an even bigger spotlight on the team’s struggles.

Goldschmidt is in the final year of his five-year, $130 million deal and will be a free agent at the end of the season, while Arenado still has three years and $52 million remaining on his deal.

The name that may be the most realistic to move is closer Ryan Helsely, who has one more year of club control after this season before reaching free agency. Helsley has been one of the more consistent relievers in baseball over the last three seasons and could also be a hot name on the trade market.

The Cardinals may not have the appetite to be a seller, but the reality is the team is continuing to get older and at some point, St. Louis is going to have to get youth back in the organization and on the Major League roster.

Biggest trade pieces: LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., SS Bo Bichette, RHP Jordan Romano

Things have not gone as planned for the Blue Jays.

There was a time when they were viewed as the next great team in the American League. But after disappointing finishes in the postseason back-to-back years, underperformance from their young stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette and regression from the rest of the team’s roster, the Blue Jays now find themselves at the bottom of the AL East.

The reality is that time is no longer on their side. Bichette and Guerrero Jr. will both become free agents at the end of next season. Whether the Blue Jays decide to move them or not, the clock has already begun ticking.

It appears that Toronto has missed their window to be a true contender and with the Orioles now growing into the juggernaut that the Blue Jays were supposed to be, and the Yankees re-discovering their form with Juan Soto in the fold, the chances of getting back to the top of the division are extremely remote.

While the Blue Jays have underperformed, they have gotten strong starts to the season from right-hander José Berríos and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. While Berríos recently signed his seven-year, $131 million deal last offseason, Kikuchi will be a free agent at season’s end and could be a name who would make sense to move as the deadline approaches.

It feels unlikely the Blue Jays would move either Bichette or Guerrero, but because of all the extenuating circumstances the team faces over the next year, standing pat and having their star duo finish the final year of their deals and getting nothing in return sounds suboptimal and puts the franchise in a much worse position.