Katie Woo

John Mozeliak says the Cardinals' reset is not a full-fledged rebuild: "We have every intention of fielding a good baseball team."

The Yankees, Astros and Red Sox rank as potential destinations depending how the rest of the offseason shakes out.

While the Cardinals would surely prefer to trade Arenado quickly, the eight-time All-Star sees no need to rush into a decision.

Arenado was never fully comfortable with being dealt to the Astros and, sources say, does not want to rush into a trade decision.

With Corbin Burnes off the board, Flaherty stands as one of the best remaining options for teams in search of starting pitching.

St. Louis wants to cut payroll and open up spots for younger players. Arenado wants the perfect situation. What happens if he has to stay?

As the likelihood of Nolan Arenado remaining in St. Louis grows, the Cardinals must find other ways to trim payroll.

The Cardinals remain hindered by Alex Bregman's free-agent market and Arenado's no-trade clause.

It is unclear how soon payroll will rise again. That timeline will be decided by gate revenue, television money and performance.

There are the questions the Cardinals want to answer this year. They need to know who they can build around — and who they can't.