The Cardinals’ rotation has been shaky enough that even a familiar face is starting to make sense.
After St. Louis picked up a much-needed series win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night, the club now heads to Wrigley Field for a matchup with the Chicago Cubs that could end up shaping its season. With the deadline now exactly one month away, the need for pitching help is obvious, and the uncertainty around right-hander Dustin May after his exit from Thursday’s game only adds to the pressure.
That backdrop is what made one trade idea from Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report stand out: a reunion with Michael Wacha, this time via the Kansas City Royals.
"Now 35 years old, Michael Wacha broke into the majors with the Cardinals back in 2013, making four consecutive quality starts for them that postseason," Miller wrote. "He spent seven seasons there before leaving in free agency, but it might be time to bring him back home.
"The Cardinals could desperately use a veteran arm in their rotation for this season and beyond, and Wacha could be their Game 1 starter if they stick around and make the postseason."
Wacha’s Cardinals story goes back to 2012, when St. Louis drafted him as compensation for losing Albert Pujols. A year later, he was the NLCS MVP and helped push the Cardinals to their 19th National League pennant, even earning a win in Game 2 of the World Series.
His time in St. Louis was later complicated by injuries, but he remained a fan favorite and was a big reason the Cardinals reached the World Series that year.
Whether a reunion is realistic depends on how Chaim Bloom chooses to handle the deadline. The Cardinals appear more likely to sell than buy, which makes the idea of bringing Wacha back uncertain at best.
Still, there is one practical angle that makes the fit worth noting: Wacha comes with an extra year of club control, and there is also the possibility of one more if his club option is exercised for 2028. For a team searching for rotation depth now and possibly beyond, that kind of control has real appeal.
In Other News...
Braves Just Watched Jordan Walker Break Through In The Worst Place
Jordan Walker gave the Cardinals exactly the kind of early jolt they were looking for against Atlanta, launching a three-run homer in the opening inning to put St. Louis on the board quickly. It was his first home run since June 13, a timely reminder of how central he has been to the Cardinals offense throughout the season, and it pushed his total to 18 with three RBIs added to the ledger.
The setting only made it feel bigger for Walker, who was back near the area where he grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia. For a hitter who has carried a heavy load for St. Louis all year, the question now is whether this was just one loud swing in a familiar place or the start of another power stretch at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Already Have Their First Real Payoff From The Selloff
The first real jolt from the Cardinals selloff may already be taking shape in the form of Jesus Baez, the 21-year-old infielder who came over from the Mets in the Ryan Helsley trade. Baez has been productive across High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, putting together a .262/.317/.545 line with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs in 61 games, and the power has been the headline even as he continues to work through the finer points of the infield.
Baez has mostly played shortstop, where his arm stands out and the tools are obvious enough to keep the organization intrigued. The remaining questions are the ones that usually decide whether a prospect becomes more than a bat-first gamble, with his range and error rate still areas to clean up as he moves up the ladder. For a Cardinals club trying to measure the long-term value of moving veteran pieces, Baez is the kind of return that can make a trade look a lot better in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Dustin May Concern At The Worst Time
Dustin Mays latest start for the Cardinals ended almost as soon as it began, when the right-hander was struck by a comebacker in the first inning against the Braves. For a club trying to navigate a crucial part of the schedule, the timing could hardly be worse, because every turn through the rotation matters and St. Louis needs stability more than another question mark.
The Cardinals are now watching Mays status closely as they wait to see how he responds in the days ahead. If he cannot take his next turn, Hunter Dobbins stands as the most obvious fallback from Triple-A, giving St. Louis at least one clear contingency while it sorts out a situation that could shape the rest of this stretch. [Read more 🡒]