The starting-pitching market has blown wide open, and the Cubs just turned up the heat.
After the Tarik Skubal deal jolted the sport and the Tampa Bay Rays followed by landing Freddy Peralta, Chicago jumped in and brought in Kevin Gausman for a package of low-ceiling, high-floor prospects. It’s the kind of move that changes the temperature in the division, and for the St. Louis Cardinals, it shifts the deadline conversation in a hurry.
None of those names were realistic targets for St. Louis anyway.
All three veterans are rentals, and Chaim Bloom has already made clear he has little interest in that type of short-term play while he works toward the future. The Cardinals were never going to part with real prospect talent for a quick fix.
But the Cubs getting aggressive matters. The NL Central is shaping up to be a grind over the final two months, and with St. Louis slipping a bit in the second half, the Cardinals suddenly have a cleaner path to a different kind of move: a controllable starter, if the price makes sense.
That’s where the deadline gets tricky. Bloom has to balance buying and selling, and that’s never an easy line to walk, especially on deadline day.
He could simply stand pat if nothing appealing comes together, and that wouldn’t be a disaster. The Cardinals are ahead of schedule and still sorting out exactly what this new core looks like.
They also have plenty of MLB-ready talent to dangle in a bigger trade, which helps reduce the usual sting on the farm system. All-Star closer Riley O'Brien and injured set-up man JoJo Romero both carry value in relief.
Iván Herrera is one of the best catchers available and is under team control through 2029. Lars Nootbaar, meanwhile, has been a hot name in the rumor mill lately.
If a team like the Mariners wants to boost its offense by sending back a controllable starter, the Cardinals should be open for business. Joe Ryan could fit the idea, though his pending free agency after the 2027 season might make the timeline feel a little tight.
No matter which pitcher profile they end up chasing, the message is pretty clear: St. Louis needs help on the mound to keep pace with the top of the division. The Cubs are still adding, the Brewers have been tied to just about every available name, and if the Cardinals want to seriously position themselves for a playoff push in 2026, Bloom has a decision to make before the deadline expires.
In Other News...
Cardinals May Have Found The Deadline Partner Fans Were Waiting On
As the trade deadline gets closer, the Cardinals could have a natural match in the Phillies, a club still shopping for help in several spots. Philadelphia is looking for an outfield bat, starting pitching and bullpen arms, and St. Louis has been mentioned as a possible fit with the kind of pieces contenders usually chase at this time of year.
The market has already been moving after a string of recent deals around the league, which only raises the odds that the right conversation can finally turn into something real. For the Cardinals, the appeal is obvious: a partner with clear needs and enough urgency to keep calling, even if the most interesting names in the mix are still just part of the speculation. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Have Another Reason To Be Excited About Trevor Condon
Trevor Condon is already giving Cardinals fans a reason to keep an eye on the farm system. After being taken with the 13th overall pick in the MLB Draft, the young outfielder recently turned heads again by going deep in a bridge league game, a small snapshot that only adds to the buzz around his all-around skill set.
Condons appeal goes beyond one swing. His speed, hitting, fielding and arm strength have made him one of the more intriguing names in St. Louis pipeline, and the comparisons to Chicago Cubs standout Pete Crow-Armstrong only add to the intrigue. With several other notable prospects in the system, Condons progress is another part of why the Cardinals future has become a little more interesting to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Lars Nootbaar Trade Buzz Puts Cardinals Fans On Edge
With the Cardinals sliding out of the postseason picture, the trade deadline is shaping up as a reset point rather than a push, and Lars Nootbaar has surfaced as one of the more watchable names on the roster. The outfielder fits the kind of player that can draw interest when a club starts listening on veterans, especially for a team that may be leaning toward a broader rebuild and looking for ways to add future value.
That leaves Cardinals fans in an uneasy spot, because moving a familiar, productive regular would signal just how serious the club is about reshaping the roster. Nootbaar is still the kind of player contenders can talk themselves into, and once a name like his enters the market, the conversation around St. Louis quickly turns from what the team can salvage this season to what the next wave might look like. [Read more 🡒]