Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The St. Louis Cardinals sit at 27-19 and are positioned for a Wild Card berth in the competitive NL Central.
- President Chaim Bloom may balance selling and buying at the deadline to address immediate needs and long-term considerations.
- Two relievers are emerging as key trade chips that could reshape the Cardinals' playoff outlook and future roster construction.
Too easily overlooked in the hyper-competitive NL Central are the St. Louis Cardinals, who enter Monday at 27-19 — good enough for a Wild Card berth and third place in a rugged division. It's hard to fully trust this Cardinals rotation, but the lineup is real-deal quality. Jordan Walker has taken a sudden and unexpected superstar leap, while JJ Wetherholt looks like the franchise-defining leadoff hitter St. Louis fans hoped for.
Still, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Cardinals president Chaim Bloom may consider selling at the deadline nonetheless — or perhaps selling and buying, hoping to balance immediate needs with long-term considerations. These veterans could end up on the move as a result.
3B Nolan Gorman
Nolan Gorman survived the initial Cardinals' fire sale over the winter, which is understandable. He's only 26, with two additional years of club control. He hammered 27 home runs in 2023, his second MLB season. There's clear power upside here.
That said, Gorman was largely ineffective in 2025 and he's still working his way out of that funk in 2026. He has improved his batting average (.236) and generated plenty of hard contact, but Gorman's high strikeout (27.6) and whiff (34.8) rates continue to highlight his unreliability.
Gorman's .683 OPS and 98 OPS+ put him a hair below league average. He's enjoying an excellent season defensively, too, which props up his value. The Cardinals aren't under any immediate pressure to trade Gorman, but if the right prospects are made available, St. Louis can lean on Thomas Saggese or call up 23-year-old prospect Blaze Jordan, who's mashing in the Minors. Maybe Gorman benefits from a change of scenery and different looks from pitchers.
OF Lars Nootbaar
Lars Nootbaar homered in his first rehab start after offseason heel surgery, so he's on track for a productive return in the foreseeable future. Nootbaar was another popular name in offseason trade rumors, as he's a free agent in 2028 and there's always a market for quality left-handed bats.
St. Louis never found a taker, but outfield depth is at a premium leaguewide and Nootbaar, despite last season's muted production, could attract serious offers. The Cards will always plan deep into the future with Chaim Bloom at the helm. And, to put it bluntly, St. Louis has been plenty successful early in the season without Nootbaar in the lineup. He's expendable, even if he's a fan favorite — especially with top outfield prospect Joshua Baez ready for his debut at some point either this season or next.
RHP Dustin May
The Cardinals effectively signed Dustin May to a one-year, $12 million contract in the offseason. After a brutal start to the season, the 28-year-old — on his third team in two years — has settled into a nice groove. Over his last seven starts, May has a 2.83 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. He's outperforming his underlying metrics, but a 3.39 FIP is credible. May looks like the best pitcher in St. Louis' rotation.
St. Louis won't be eager to trade from its already threadbare starting staff with the playoffs in sight, but if Bloom can add a longer-term option via trade — or if he's extra confident in top prospects Liam Doyle or Quinn Mathews — it becomes much easier to stomach. The Cardinals probably won't extend May, especially if he maintains his current pace. So threading the needle between immediate needs and future considerations will be important.
LHP JoJo Romero
JoJo Romero was brilliant last season, with a 2.07 ERA that placed him among the top relievers in MLB. That's why the Cardinals' decision to not trade him — to not sell high — over the winter came as such a surprise. Romero is off to a decent start in 2026, but his ERA has already inflated to 3.22 across 22.1 innings. Moreover, his expected ERA of 4.49 ERA points to further regression on the horizon.
It feels like St. Louis missed its window to recoup maximum value in a Romero trade, as he's on an expiring contract now. Still, Bloom would be smart to strike up a deal before Romero's numbers slip even further. He does not have the same stuff right now, with his hard-hit rate up from 35.1 percent (88th percentille) last season to 44.4 percent this season (22nd percentile). Quality lefty relievers are always in demand, but Romero's value threatens to plummet with each passing day.
RHP Riley O'Brien
Riley O'Brien is St. Louis' golden goose if Bloom decides to sell major pieces at the deadline. The 31-year-old has come on strong, out of relative obscurity, to lead the charge for the Cardinals bullpen. He was excellent last season, with six saves and a 2.06 ERA across 48.0 innings out of the pen. He looks even stronger now, with a 2.45 ERA and 13 saves in 22 appearances (22.0 innings).
Behind Mason Miller, O'Brien looks like the best closer in the National League. He balances a high ground-ball rate with real swing-and-miss stuff, and he almost never gives up walks. O'Brien hammers the strike zone and hitters simply can't figure out how to connect with the thick part of the bat. He's up to 10.8 strikeouts and 0.8 walks per nine innings — a beast.
Not a free agent until 2031, O'Brien has an opportunity to anchor this Cardinals bullpen for many years (and postseason runs) to come. He's also 31, however, so it's unclear how long his prime window will extend. If the Cardinals can recoup multiple top-shelf prospects, in line with the Mason Miller or Jhoan Durán trades last summer, Bloom will be forced to consider a drastic move.
More MLB news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google