The St. Louis Cardinals are heading toward the 2026 MLB trade deadline with a record below . 500, forcing the front office to reassess its strategy.
Offensive weaknesses and an unreliable bullpen have shifted the team from buying to a more cautious buy/sell approach.
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Trade Assets and Market Challenges
Players like Ivan Herrera and Masyn Winn are viewed as valuable trade chips.
However, starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, despite having four years of control, has limited appeal among contenders.
"Sure, Liberatore has a bunch of surplus value, but no contending team wants him right now, with his performance," a source said.
"He does have 4 years of control, but he’s just not going to help anyone except maybe the Nationals or Cubs?
I don’t even see it."
Dustin May also holds some trade value, though his 4.59 ERA and 1.32 WHIP position him as a mid-rotation option.
"If a team likes the stat FIP, May might seem like a sneaky good pick on the market," the source added.
"Statcast metrics pretty much show May as about an average MLB starting pitcher."
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The crowded starting pitcher market gives buyers leverage, making trades difficult for sellers.
Wild Card Race and Seller Landscape
The Cardinals remain in wild card contention, sitting close to the Cubs, Phillies, and Pirates.
"The Cardinals, Marlins, and Padres will probably not be full on sellers, either, considering they are all within 2 games," the source noted.
"Of the three, the Padres seem least capable with a run differential of -21."
Other National League sellers include the Reds, Giants, Mets, and Rockies, limiting options for buyers.
In the American League, several teams are within five games of a wild card spot, with the Angels and Mets as notable potential sellers despite their historical reluctance to rebuild.
"They tend to not want to rebuild!
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But they sure as hell look like they should move some pieces," the source said, highlighting the uncertain trade deadline landscape.
