Report: Cardinals Ownership More Willing To Include Money In Trades

"That reporting aligns with comments this week from Chaim Bloom, the new president of baseball operations. "As far as cash being a lever on the trade front, that should never be off the table," he said, per Woo. "Obviously, you'd prefer not to do that, but you could end up in a situation where adding cash to make a preferred deal work just makes sense.""

"A year ago, the Cards made it clear that they were beginning this reset period. That initially made it seem likely that veteran players like Arenado, Gray and Willson Contreras could be logical trade candidates. However, Gray and Contreras quickly indicated that they wanted to stay in St. Louis. Arenado was a bit more open to a trade but had a narrow list of five clubs he considered acceptable landing spots and ultimately wasn't traded."

The Cardinals are at a franchise pivot point and appear to be entering a multi-year rebuild that prioritizes player development over short-term contention. Ownership is prepared to use cash as a trade lever and the front office is aligned with that approach to secure better returns in deals. Highly paid veterans are more likely to be moved this offseason as a result of that alignment. Player stances have shifted since last year: Arenado and Gray have become more willing to waive no-trade protections, while Contreras remains less inclined to leave. Using cash will improve chances of completing desired trades.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors