There was a flurry of wild trades across Major League Baseball on Thursday.
Carlos Correa returning to Houston? That one came out of nowhere. And in a stunner, the Athletics sent Mason Miller to the Padres in a blockbuster that included the No. 3 overall prospect, shortstop Leo De Vries. Deals involving top-10 prospects just don't happen very often.
But while chaos unfolded around them, the St. Louis Cardinals stayed in the slow lane. They did make one final move just before the deadline, sending Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a pair of left-handed pitching prospects — Mason Molina and Skylar Hales — plus international bonus pool money.
Still, when the dust settled, the Cardinals had done little more than the bare minimum. Over the last two days of July, they moved the three impending free-agent relievers everyone expected them to trade, receiving six minor leaguers in return — five of whom were ranked among their previous teams’ top-30 prospects.
Here is a look at the Cardinals’ newest players.
Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets for Jesus Baez, Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt
Jesus Baez is a 20-year-old shortstop/third baseman who was the No. 8 prospect in the Mets’ system. Signed as a 17-year-old out of Santo Domingo in 2022, Baez began turning heads early in his pro career and was named the Mets’ Dominican Summer League Player of the Year. He made it to High-A Brooklyn in 2024, showing glimpses of the power-speed combo that has made scouts drool, but he would suffer a season-ending knee injury. Over 243 Minor League games, including 79 at the High-A level, Baez has a slash line of .242/.330/.400, with 46 doubles, 30 home runs, 29 stolen bases, and 136 RBIs. Baez ranks as the Cardinals’ No. 6 prospect.
A 22-year-old right-handed pitcher, Nate Dohm ranked as the Mets’ No. 14 prospect at the time of the trade. Dohm, a 2024 third-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, made a name for himself in college with a dominant spring, posting a 1.23 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 29.1 innings. In his first full pro season in 2025, Dohm split time between High-A St. Lucie and Brooklyn, appearing in 18 games (17 starts). Across 62.2 innings, he posted a 2.87 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .215 batting average. Known for his fastball-slider combo and a developing curveball, Dohm profiles as a potential back-end starter or multi-inning bullpen piece if his command continues to improve. Dohm is currently ranked 15th among Cardinals prospects.
Frank Elissalt is a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher who was signed by the Mets as a free agent in July 2024. He pitched in 21 games this season, most at Single-A St. Lucie, and in 56.2 innings, he has a 3.02 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 21 walks. With a fastball that touches 96, his best outing of the season came July 1, as Elissalt gave up just one hit and no walks with seven strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless innings against Daytona.
Grade: David Schoenfield of ESPN gave the Cardinals an A-, stating, “In the end, I think the Cardinals read the trade market correctly.” Schoenfield said Baez, ranked by ESPN as the fourth-best prospect overall to change teams at the trade deadline, will likely end up at third base, touting the 20-year-old's bat speed and exit velocity, while also noting his low 16-percent strikeout rate for such a young player: “He's hardly a sure thing, but the upside here makes Baez a nice return for a reliever with an expiring contract.” Citing Dohm as “a fastball-heavy pitcher with a good slider,” Schoenfield said his ability to reach 99 while used a reliever at Mississippi State could foretell a future in the bullpen.
Steven Matz to the Red Sox for Blaze Jordan
Blaze Jordan is a 22-year-old corner infielder who was the No. 17 prospect in the Red Sox system at the time of the trade. Known for his prodigious power, which made him a YouTube sensation in his high school days, Jordan has continued to showcase that pop in the Minor Leagues, splitting time between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in 2025. Over 88 games, he posted a slash line of .308/.377/.495, with 22 doubles, 12 home runs and 62 RBIs, and he has struck out 38 times compared to 33 walks. Jordan primarily plays first base but has also logged time at third, giving him some defensive flexibility despite questions about his long-term fit at either corner. What’s kept him on the prospect radar is the consistent ability to square up fastballs and drive the ball to all fields — traits that could make him a big-league-ready bat sooner than later. Though his walk rate remains modest and his defense is still a work in progress, Jordan’s offensive profile gives him upside, particularly for a team looking to add right-handed power to its lineup. He is now No. 19 on the Cardinals’ prospect list.
Grade: Bradford Doolittle of ESPN gives the Cardinals a C+, while commending the team’s ability “to get something for Matz.” Touting Jordan’s ability to put the ball in play at a solid clip, Doolittle laments his lack of walks and modest power to raise concerns about whether there’s enough offensive upside to make a real impact with the bat alone: “Still, he's got a great name and could develop into a useful, lefty-mashing role player in the majors, the kind of performer the Cardinals have often gotten good mileage from in the past.”
Phil Maton to the Rangers for Mason Molina, Skylar Hales and international bonus pool money
A 22-year-old left-handed pitcher, Mason Molina has already been involved in two trades. Originally a seventh-round pick in 2024 by Milwaukee, Molina was dealt to the Rangers in January, and he posted a combined 3.41 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 74 innings across Single-A and High-A this season, striking out 92 batters (an 11.2 K/9 rate) while limiting walks to roughly 3.4 BB/9. Ranked 27th with the Rangers prospects, Molina routinely sits between 90–91 mph with his fastball, which plays up thanks to good ride and location, and is backed by a sharp breaking pitch that generates swings-and-misses at the top of the zone. Molina reached a high-water mark on July 30 with a six-scoreless-inning outing that included seven whiffs and zero walks, showing the sort of arm efficiency and poise the Cardinals covet. In total, Molina made 11 starts for Hickory (Single-A) and six for Hub City (High-A) before the deal, and his consistency across levels gives St. Louis a mid-rotation profile with depth potential if he continues refining command. Molina is the Cardinals’ No. 26 prospect.
Skylar Hales, a 23-year-old right-hander, was drafted in the fourth round of 2023 out of Santa Clara University. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Hales boasts a fastball that touches the mid‑90s. His 2025 season has been rough from a results standpoint, with a 1–5 record and a 7.64 ERA over 34 relief appearances covering 33 innings in Double-A and Triple-A, but the profile tells a different story. Hales has missed bats, earning 40 strikeouts, and despite inconsistent command, the swing-and-miss rate hints at upside. Scouts believe his heater has arm-side life and that he can handle high leverage if he smooths out his release. Rated No. 28 with the Rangers, Hales did not gain a spot among the Cardinals’ top 30, and the team likely views him as a future bullpen piece who might settle into multi-inning duty or late-inning work if his mechanics stabilize and his frame stays durable.
Grade: USA Today gave the Cardinals a B for this transaction, touting Molina, Hales and the bonus money as “a nice return.” The Athletic determined the deal to be worth a C grade, recognizing the ability of the Cardinals to “get some goodies” for their lone free agent signing from last offseason as a “win-win.”