The St. Louis Cardinals continue to find ways to win despite having made some big changes last offseason. Four key veterans were traded away over the winter, and the Cardinals looked to be headed for a rebuild.
While they haven’t abandoned that plan, the team is actually in position to potentially improve its roster at the trade deadline rather than subtract from it. They had been sellers at the deadline in two of the last three seasons, and they finished under .500 both times.
However, they haven’t fallen to .500 or below at any point this season. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes that the Cardinals could eventually avoid selling on a key condition.
“Chaim Bloom, in his first year as president of baseball operations is going to face some interesting decisions at the deadline,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory. “I don’t expect him to go all-in, but he is going to be realistic, and if this team is in playoff position and they’ve justified trading for additional pieces, Chaim Bloom is going to do that.”
“If this team is in playoff position and they’ve justified trading for additional pieces, Chaim Bloom is going to do that,” says @Ken_Rosenthal.
Cardinals Could Take Different Approach at Trade Deadline
The Cardinals were buyers at the trade deadline in 2024, but pivoted to selling last year, just as they had in 2023. Needless to say, it has been a while since the Cardinals have added pieces at the trade deadline.
As Rosenthal mentions, it is highly unlikely that they will make any blockbuster moves, as that would cost a lot of prospects, and the Cardinals cannot afford to lose those pieces just to make a big move and become a World Series contender this season.
However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t add to their roster. They can still make some incremental moves that improve their chances for 2026 as long as they do not compromise Bloom’s plan for the future.
There are certain pieces on the roster that don’t have clear fits with the organization anymore. Players like Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, Pedro Pages and Victor Scott II have all either lost playing time or been sent down to Triple-A Memphis.
Some of those pieces could be used to add an arm for the bullpen, another starting pitcher, or potentially even a right-handed bat for the bench. Those are pieces that they can add without selling off the entire farm system and would allow them to stay true to their rebuild as opposed to changing their approach entirely and switching directions.
Other Potential Paths
Depending on where the Cardinals are in the standings, there are other paths they could take as well. If they fall out of contention, then selling becomes more likely. They could also potentially mix buying with selling if they are struggling but not out of the race.
Another thing they can do is keep the roster as it is. That way, they can still have the pieces they added in the offseason, but not give up any prospects just to make the team better in the short-term.
It will be interesting to see where the Cardinals are at the deadline.
Cardinals Could Avoid Selling at Deadline on One Key Condition