The Cardinals didn’t tiptoe into the deadline. They ripped off three separate deals in the final stretch, moved Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar, and still found a way to add a left-handed reliever in Caleb Ferguson.
It was a busy finish for St. Louis, and one of the returns looks downright outrageous.
The biggest haul came from the Milwaukee Brewers, who sent back prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale in the trade for May and Romero. That deal earned the kind of grade that jumps off the page: A++.
Frias and Ragsdale are both highly regarded around the industry, and depending on where you look, either one can show up as a top 100 prospect. Frias is already slotted by MLB Pipeline as the Cardinals’ number four prospect, sitting between Joshua Baez and Tanner Franklin. He’s an 18-year-old left-handed corner outfielder with true plus power and a plus arm, and he’s already put up eye-catching numbers and underlying metrics at Low-A.
Ragsdale comes in at No. 10 in the system, between Jurrangelo Cijntje and Yhoiker Fajardo. He’s 22, plays center field, and has added more power this season to go with elite speed and defense. If he hits one more home run, he’ll finish with 20-plus doubles, 20-plus homers and 30-plus steals between High-A and Double-A this year.
That kind of return for May and Romero was described as unexpected even before the deadline passed. May had been solid for St. Louis, but he was still a rental arm with injury concerns, and the Cardinals turned him into two very good prospects.
Nootbaar’s departure brought another solid package. Arizona sent the Cardinals right-hander Daniel Eagen, left-hander Sandro Santana and a player to be named later, a deal that was graded B.
Eagen is the Diamondbacks’ fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline and was a third-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He brings a plus curveball along with an above-average fastball and slider, giving him a real starter’s mix if everything comes together.
Santana is a relief prospect with a true 70-grade slider and an above-average fastball. He’s been striking out the world, and the Cardinals see him as a nasty bullpen weapon down the line.
The Nootbaar deal also opens the door for Joshua Baez, who could make his debut in the next few weeks.
St. Louis then added Ferguson from the Cincinnati Reds to replenish the left-handed relief depth after moving Romero.
Ferguson has a 4.02 ERA in 26 appearances this season and a 3.69 ERA across eight big league seasons. With innings still needed down the stretch, the move made sense, especially since the Cardinals remain technically in contention.
It also gives the clubhouse at least a small sign of confidence as the season rolls on.
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 🡒]