The Cardinals have played their way into an awkward but interesting trade-deadline lane.
A few weeks ago, it looked like St. Louis would be a clear seller.
Instead, the club has outperformed expectations and sits above .500, but still on the outside of the playoff picture. At the moment, the Cardinals are one game out of a National League Wild Card spot.
That leaves president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom with a real decision to make: add, subtract or stand pat.
One thing St. Louis has already made clear is that it will not chase “shortcuts” this season.
That makes a blockbuster rental deal unlikely, especially if it would require parting with top prospects. So if the Cardinals do decide to buy, the move probably has to come in a more modest form.
That’s where Patrick Sandoval enters the picture.
If St. Louis is looking for rotation help, Sandoval is the kind of arm worth a hard look.
The Cardinals’ starting staff could use a lift. Matthew Liberatore has a 5.00 ERA in 19 starts this season, while Dustin May sits at a 4.55 ERA in 18 starts.
May’s number tells only part of the story, though. From April 10 through June 15, he posted a 2.54 ERA over 12 starts.
Then came two rough outings tied to soreness, and he has bounced back over his last two starts. Even so, the rotation still looks like an area that could be upgraded, whether that means pushing Liberatore aside or even replacing May if he’s moved.
Sandoval would not be a headline-grabbing acquisition, but he might be the kind of practical one that makes sense. He’d be a rental, and he shouldn’t cost much.
He made 16 appearances in 2024 with the Los Angeles Angels, then didn’t return to a big league mound until July 9 with Boston. In that outing, he looked sharp and gave up one run in 4 1/3 innings.
Boston signed Sandoval to a two-year deal before the 2025 season, but he missed the entire 2025 campaign and the start of the 2026 season. The Red Sox have been dealing with injuries in their rotation, though that picture could change as the staff gets healthier, which may leave Sandoval available.
There’s also a track record here. Sandoval owns a 4.00 career ERA in 108 major league games dating back to 2019.
Given how much time he’s missed, Boston might not ask for much beyond a mid-level prospect. If that’s the price, the Cardinals should at least make the call.
If Sandoval pitches the way he did in his first start back, he could end up looking like a deadline steal. And for a Cardinals team that needs pitching, that’s exactly the kind of inexpensive arm they should be chasing if they decide to add.
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Grays omission also comes at an awkward moment for Bostons front office, because his name had been circling in trade chatter when the team was scuffling earlier in the year. Now, with the club riding a nine-game winning streak entering the break, the calculus may be changing fast, and what looked like a possible deadline move could start to feel more like a pitcher the Red Sox would rather keep around. [Read more 🡒]