The Cardinals got another painful reminder Monday night of how thin their margin is, and Jose Soriano was right at the center of it.
St. Louis dropped an excruciating game to the Los Angeles Angels, and while the club still clings to the third National League wild card spot, the hold is getting shaky. The bigger issue is the larger picture: the roster doesn’t look complete enough to carry the team into October and beyond, and 2026 is already starting to feel like it’s slipping away.
Soriano didn’t just beat the Cardinals; he showed them the kind of arm they could use. He worked seven innings and gave up only two runs for the Angels, exactly the sort of sturdy, controlled outing that makes a rotation breathe easier.
That’s why his name has already been tied to St. Louis in trade chatter.
Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN listed the Cardinals as a possible landing spot for Soriano with the trade deadline approaching. The problem is obvious: he may be more than the Cardinals can realistically afford, especially with the amount of club control he still carries.
And that control is the whole appeal. Soriano is 8-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 21 starts this season, and he has struck out 122 batters in 118 innings pitched. He won’t hit free agency until 2029.
For St. Louis, the lesson may not be to chase Soriano himself, but to target pitchers in that same mold: young, controllable, and ready to help for more than a short stretch. The Cardinals could also use the deadline to sell high on trade pieces like Riley O'Brien and bring back younger arms with years of control.
That kind of move would fit the bigger roster picture. The Cardinals need pitching depth for the next couple of seasons, especially with Dustin May likely not returning in 2027. They already have Quinn Mathews, Brycen Mautz, Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts, once he comes back from the injured list next year, but there’s room for more.
A deal that lands a pitcher who can step into the rotation right away would make sense, particularly if it comes at the cost of one of their trade chips. And if the Cardinals can get back a couple of pieces in the process, they’d be helping themselves now while also setting up the future.
In Other News...
Cardinals Deadline Picture Just Turned Into A Bullpen Gut Check
With the trade deadline closing in, the Cardinals are sorting through a bullpen market that could force some uncomfortable choices. The club has a few relievers who would draw interest from other teams, and the front office is weighing value against the need to keep the current group intact for a stretch run. It is the kind of deadline setup that leaves little room for sentiment, especially when the roster has to be judged against both present needs and what the market might return.
Riley O'Brien and JoJo Romero sit near the center of that conversation, while the rest of the picture is less dramatic but still important. St. Louis also appears inclined to ride with Dustin May, Ryne Stanek and Lars Nootbaar despite uneven stretches, which suggests the Cardinals are trying to balance short-term stability with longer-term roster planning. The final call is still unresolved, and for a team trying to navigate both its bullpen and its bigger deadline picture, that uncertainty may be the story. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Sent A Strong Message About Top Pick Rocco Maniscalco
The Cardinals have locked in one of the more intriguing names from their latest draft class, agreeing to terms with 17-year-old shortstop Rocco Maniscalco after taking him No. 50 overall in the 2026 MLB Draft. St. Louis went well above the slot value with a $3.2 million signing bonus, a clear sign the organization wanted to make sure the young infielders path led straight to pro ball rather than somewhere else.
Maniscalco had been committed to Mississippi State, so the Cardinals were not just buying talent, they were beating back a possible college route for a player they clearly view as a priority. The bonus and the age alone tell part of the story, but there is also a reason the club pushed so hard to get him signed now, and it starts with what he can already bring to the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Fans Wont Like Whos Suddenly Being Linked To Seiya Suzuki
The Cardinals recent slide has only sharpened the focus on where they stand in the NL Wild Card race, and it has also made an ESPN trade idea stand out a little more than usual. Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed St. Louis among the possible landing spots for Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, a name that would immediately raise eyebrows given the way the two clubs are lined up in the standings and the fact that any move involving Chicagos outfield would carry real division intrigue.
Still, the fit looks more like a curiosity than a true front-office target. St. Louis already has Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and Lars Nootbaar in the outfield mix, with Joshua Bez next in line for depth, and the organization has not shown much appetite for short-term shortcuts this summer. With Chaim Bloom signaling a patient approach, the idea of the Cardinals and Cubs doing business on a player like Suzuki feels like the kind of rumor that gets attention without necessarily getting much traction. [Read more 🡒]