Chaim Bloom is supposed to be building the St. Louis Cardinals for what comes next at this trade deadline.
That part is clear. But if Seattle is truly willing to listen on George Kirby, the Cardinals should at least be in the room, because this is the kind of rare chance to land a real ace with years of control left.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Mariners have talked with multiple teams about Kirby, and clubs are starting to believe he can be had if the price is right. The list of interested teams is a long one - the Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies, Rays, Braves, Brewers, White Sox, and maybe others - but Kirby also lines up neatly with what St. Louis has been missing for years.
The Cardinals have been searching for that frontline starter ever since Adam Wainwright was no longer in his prime. Jack Flaherty gave them a glimpse of one in 2019.
Sonny Gray was supposed to fill that role in 2024 and 2025. A number of prospects have been asked to grow into it and fallen short.
Meanwhile, the farm system has started to stockpile promising arms, but that is not the same thing as adding a proven starter who already checks the box.
Kirby does. He is 28, has two years of club control after this season, and carries a career 3.65 ERA across 132 starts.
He has shown elite command and the kind of stuff that makes him look built to hold up over time. And if anyone in the Cardinals organization has a real read on him, it would be director of pitching Matt Pierpont, who came over from Seattle after the 2024 season.
None of that means St. Louis should expect a bargain.
Quite the opposite. If the Mariners are serious about moving Kirby, the return is going to be steep, and the Cardinals would have to decide how aggressive they want to be.
Ivan Herrera is the name that jumps out as the likely centerpiece. Seattle needs offense, and the market for right-handed bats is hot, which makes Herrera the sort of player that could headline a Kirby deal.
That would sting for Cardinals fans, especially because the trade would almost certainly require more coming back from St. Louis as well.
Even with a slump that has dragged on for more than a month, Herrera still profiles as a major impact bat. Since 2024, he has been one of the top 15 right-handed hitters in the sport.
Teams do not appear worried about the offense. His 130 wRC+ and .802 OPS on the road point to the kind of upside he has away from Busch Stadium, where his power has been muted this year.
The bigger issue for other clubs is where he fits defensively, and that trims some value.
Still, Herrera would be one of the biggest bats moved at this deadline if he actually got dealt. Put him with a couple of interesting prospects, and Seattle would have a package worth considering. The Cardinals could also try to sweeten the offer with pieces like JoJo Romero, Riley O'Brien, or Dustin May if that helps the Mariners chase the World Series right now.
It is still a long shot that St. Louis pulls this off. But if the Cardinals are willing to think creatively, Kirby is exactly the sort of move that would make sense: bold now, useful later, and the rare deadline swing that could actually solve a problem they have had for years.
In Other News...
Cardinals May Have Found The Deadline Partner Fans Were Waiting On
With the MLB trade deadline drawing closer, the Cardinals suddenly have a plausible match sitting across from them in the Phillies. Philadelphia is shopping for help in several areas, including an outfield bat, a starter and relief arms, and that kind of broad shopping list has a way of putting a team like St. Louis into the conversation if the fit is right.
Recent deals around the league have helped clarify the market, which makes a Cardinals-Phillies swap feel more realistic than it might have a few days ago. Nothing is done yet, but the overlap in needs is enough to keep this one on the radar as both clubs weigh whether the pieces they can move line up with what the other side is trying to add. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Are Tied To Four Deadline Names That Could Change Everything
The trade deadline always brings a little more noise than certainty, and the Cardinals are right in the middle of that familiar swirl. Four names have surfaced as possible fits if St. Louis decides to chase help with an eye on the future: Jackson Holliday, George Kirby, Marcelo Mayer and Reid Detmers. Each comes with a different profile, but the common thread is obvious enough for a club trying to balance present needs with long-term planning.
Holliday stands out as the sort of young talent that can reshape a roster timeline, while Kirby would almost certainly come with a steep acquisition cost if the Cardinals tried to make a serious run at him. Mayer and Detmers give the group more variety, and that is part of what makes this kind of deadline chatter so easy to follow and so hard to read. The Cardinals can dream on the upside, but as always with this time of year, getting from interest to actual movement is where the real uncertainty begins. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Made A Tough Call On A Fan Favorite Outfielder
The Cardinals spent the day reshaping their outfield picture with a move that signals both urgency and patience. Lars Nootbaar, long one of the more recognizable faces in the lineup, is on his way out after the club weighed his health concerns against the rise of younger outfield prospects in the organization.
In return, St. Louis added pitching depth, getting right-hander Daniel Eagen and left-handed reliever Sando Santana as part of a package that also includes a third player not yet reported. It is the kind of deal that can look sensible on paper for a team trying to balance present needs with future value, but the final shape of the return still has one more piece to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]