The Cardinals are already being linked to a sell-off at the deadline, with Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, Dustin May, Ryne Stanek and Lars Nootbaar among the names most often mentioned as trade candidates. Alec Burleson has also been floated as a possibility.
But Bernie Miklasz added a far more startling name to the conversation: Masyn Winn.
That idea lands with a thud for most St. Louis fans, and for good reason.
Winn looks like the shortstop the Cardinals can build around when they’re ready to contend again. He’s only 24, and his glove is the kind that changes the shape of an infield.
The natural reaction is to talk extension, not trade.
Still, Miklasz made the case that Winn’s bat has trended the wrong way since his rookie season. In 2026, he’s hitting .242 with a .644 OPS, and his OPS+ has dipped to 84 after sitting at 91 in 2025 and 104 in 2024.
He also has a 44.1% ground ball rate, which adds to the concern. On STL Sports Central, Miklasz also raised the question of how Winn’s all-out style might hold up three seasons from now, with injuries a possible issue down the road.
The Cardinals would still control Winn for four more years, and if they ever decided to move him, there are ways to patch the hole. JJ Wetherholt could slide to shortstop, while Bryan Torres, Thomas Saggese or prospect Jesús Báez could take over at second.
St. Louis could also simply trade for a second baseman, since that spot is easier to fill than shortstop.
This is all devil’s advocate territory, because Winn’s defense goes a long way toward covering for the bat. The Cardinals could also build enough offense around him to let him hide near the bottom of the order. But if President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom ever decided to listen on him, the return could be huge.
Teams rarely move a young, controlled player like Winn, but there is at least one recent template. The Tampa Bay Rays traded 25-year-old shortstop Willy Adames to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021, and while Adames didn’t come with the same level of control Winn does, Tampa still turned him and Trevor Richards into Drew Rasmussen and JP Feyereisen.
The market also has shown what a defense-first shortstop can bring back. The Brewers dealt Caleb Durbin, a league-average hitter with an OPS+ of exactly 100 in 2025, to the Boston Red Sox this past offseason for left-hander Kyle Harrison. Harrison has since broken out and is now one of the top pitchers in the National League.
That kind of return is exactly why Winn would draw attention. Pitching always matters, and a talent like Harrison would give the Cardinals a major boost on the mound.
Miklasz even pointed to the Los Angeles Dodgers as a possible fit, since they usually use Miguel Rojas or a fading Mookie Betts at shortstop. He suggested a package of Winn and Riley O'Brien, with O'Brien helping the Dodgers bullpen, could bring St.
Louis a massive haul.
For now, Winn is still the likeliest long-term piece in St. Louis. But Miklasz’s idea is the kind of thought experiment Cardinals fans won’t shake easily as the deadline approaches and the organization sorts out who should stay and who should go.
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 🡒]