The Cardinals already made their intentions plain at the deadline. By dealing Lars Nootbaar, Dustin May, and JoJo Romero, St.
Louis signaled that the second half was about development, not pushing chips in. That doesn’t mean the roster is frozen now.
If anything, this winter could give POBO Chaim Bloom another chance to turn a few more pieces into future value.
With one of baseball’s strongest farm systems, the Cardinals have some real decisions to make. A few players still carry enough appeal to bring back meaningful returns, even if moving them would leave obvious holes behind. Ivan Herrera, Andre Pallante, and Riley O’Brien all fit that conversation.
Herrera is the most intriguing case. The chatter around him has been loud all season, and it makes sense.
The Cardinals’ 2026 All-Star has had a solid year overall, but his hold on a long-term role is getting shaky. Rookie catcher Leo Bernal has impressed since his promotion late in the season, and minor league standout Rainiel Rodriguez keeps destroying lower-level pitching.
Herrera has also faded after the break, and his lack of impact behind the plate makes his .750 OPS hard to sell as everyday DH production.
That doesn’t mean Herrera lacks value. It means his value may be highest to a team that needs help now.
With Hunter Dobbins undergoing surgery that will keep him out through 2027, Herrera could be part of a trade that brings back either rotation help or a strong prospect haul. His pedigree, upside, and team control make him the kind of player other clubs would circle quickly.
If St. Louis keeps him, though, the club still has to answer a crowded at-bat picture with Bernal, Rodriguez, Crooks, and other options all in the mix.
Pallante belongs in the same bucket, even if his path is different. He’s had a very good 2026 after reworking his slider and sharpening his strike-zone command, and the transformation has been real.
But he still doesn’t look like a true front-line starter, and he doesn’t project as the kind of arm a contender would lean on in October. That makes him a possible trade chip if the Cardinals decide to get ahead of their pitching logjam and turn him into something else, maybe a stopgap center fielder or, more likely, prospects.
There’s also the simple question of fit. Pallante has become dependable, just not indispensable.
With the Dobbins injury already putting pressure on the organization to find innings before 2027 is even in focus, Bloom’s confidence in the system will matter a lot here. If St.
Louis believes enough in its internal arms, Pallante could be moved for a return that helps balance the roster elsewhere. He’d also make sense for a club like the Phillies, where he could stabilize the back end of an already strong rotation.
Then there’s Riley O’Brien, who has been the Cardinals’ closer and a bit of a wild ride at the same time. He has still handled the ninth well enough to pile up more than 30 saves, post a respectable ERA, and show the kind of stuff that plays late in games.
But the timeline is the issue. He’s not really lining up with where the Cardinals are headed.
Unlike Herrera or Pallante, O’Brien is not being pushed out by younger pitchers. Luis Gastelum has started to look like he’s found something, but there isn’t the same direct pressure.
Even so, if another club comes with a significant offer for a reliever who has already proven he can handle the job, St. Louis should think hard about taking it.
His underlying numbers have slipped, and there isn’t much to suggest he’s locked into the ninth inning for the long haul.
O’Brien has done his part for the Cardinals. But if the return is big enough, this is the kind of move that makes sense before the market turns.
In Other News...
Cardinals Are Learning Two Very Different Things About Their Young Outfielders
The Cardinals spent the final month of the season getting a better look at two young pieces they hope will matter in the near future, and the early read has already been different for each. Thomas Saggese has settled in well since his promotion, putting together a series of successful swings and giving the club something to consider as it sorts out the infield picture. Victor Scott, meanwhile, has brought a different kind of evaluation into focus as the team weighs what his role could be in St. Louis.
Scotts opportunities have been limited, but the Cardinals have still learned enough to keep his development front and center. His athleticism remains part of the appeal, yet his baserunning choices have also shown how much more there is to sort through before the roster puzzle is complete. For a club looking ahead to next season, the contrast between the two young outfielders is useful, because it gives St. Louis a clearer sense of where the immediate help may be coming from and where the bigger questions still remain. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Linked To Costly Rotation Upgrade Worth Watching
CBS Sports Mike Axisa has floated the Cardinals as a possible destination for Michael King if the right-hander chooses to opt out of his current deal with the Padres. King has been one of the more intriguing names to watch on the pitching market, and with a 3.00 ERA this season, it is easy to see why a team looking for rotation help would take a long look.
For St. Louis, the fit is obvious enough on paper. The Cardinals have been searching for ways to strengthen the starting staff, and a pitcher with Kings track record would qualify as a meaningful addition. Nothing official has surfaced yet, though, and whether the interest turns into a real pursuit will depend first on what King decides to do with his contract situation. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Get A Crucial Return As Another Roster Squeeze Looms
JJ Wetherholt is expected back in the Cardinals lineup during the upcoming home stand after working through wrist tendinitis, a welcome development for a club still trying to claw its way back toward relevance. For a team sitting below .500, getting a useful bat back in the mix matters, especially when every healthy day on the roster feels more important than the last.
The catch is that St. Louis will have to clear a spot to activate him, and the roster math has already started to tighten. Ramn Uras is the most likely player to be moved, leaving the Cardinals with another decision that underscores how little margin for error they have as the playoff picture gets tougher to chase. [Read more 🡒]