The Cardinals’ next two series could tell the whole story of their first half. A five-game set with the Brewers and then three against the Braves will close out the unofficial opening half of the season, and by the weekend St.
Louis could be sitting comfortably in a Wild Card spot or staring at a much steeper climb. Either way, Chaim Bloom is expected to keep working the market, and Dustin May looks like one of the names that could move.
That kind of deal is never simple when a team is still in the race. Moving a major league arm while competing takes some nerve, but for this Cardinals roster, it also fits the bigger picture.
There are clear holes, no obvious long-term fixes in sight, and even with the club above .500 in this rebuild season, the future still has to come first. May is one possible piece on the move, and so are relievers JoJo Romero, Riley O'Brien, and Ryne Stanek, any of whom could be pitching somewhere else in August and helping another club in the postseason.
One team that stands out as a possible match is the Chicago White Sox. They’ve beaten expectations and are right in the middle of the playoff chase, but unlike St.
Louis, they’re leading a very weak division and look more like buyers than sellers. MLB.com recently laid out what each team might do before the deadline, and for Chicago the priority is clear: pitching to support a young lineup.
That makes May an appealing target. An aggressive swing for Chicago would be one thing, but a more realistic path is finding a short-term upgrade that doesn’t cost much in the way of long-term assets.
May fits that mold, though the White Sox may have competition from teams with a stronger eye toward the 2026 postseason. That gives Bloom leverage, but it also means May could become a major prize if the market thins out before the deadline.
Chicago’s rotation has been solidly middle-of-the-pack, and May could help push it into the top 10 over the final two months. The staff is young and still learning on the job, and several pitchers may be facing innings limits early in their big league careers.
May is coming off a career-high 132 innings last year and is on pace to land around 175 over a full season. Former Cardinal Erick Fedde has been used as a bulk reliever, and bringing in May would ease some of the pressure on the rest of the group.
The White Sox also have a prospect pool that’s decent but not overwhelming, with four top-100 prospects and a lot of their better talent still in Double-A or lower. Since they’re ahead of schedule just like St.
Louis, GM Chris Getz is expected to be careful with how he approaches this deadline, keeping some flexibility in case this season turns out to be the outlier. With May under a one-year deal and a mutual option, Chicago looks like a clean fit for everyone involved.
For the Cardinals, moving May would be another clear sign that the rebuild is still the priority. It would also open rotation innings for pitchers who need to be evaluated at the big league level. Hunter Dobbins and Brycen Mautz are the most likely candidates to step into that space, and Bloom would also benefit from getting looks at other arms as the roster continues to take shape.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Call Fans Have Wanted
The Cardinals have quietly built one of the more interesting catching situations in the organization, with enough depth on the major league side and in the upper minors to make the position look more like a trade chip than a need. With Chaim Bloom now steering the front office, the club is at least open to the idea that a surplus behind the plate could help address a different area before the deadline, and that kind of roster math has become part of the conversation around St. Louis.
Ken Rosenthal reported that the Cardinals are weighing whether to move one of their catchers, while still protecting the top of the system and keeping the most prized names out of the discussion. The challenge is deciding how far to go from there, because a few of the available options have either reached the majors already or are close enough that another club could see real value in them, and the asking price could shape how aggressively St. Louis tries to act. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face Huge Pressure With Two Day 1 Draft Fits In Play
The Cardinals are already looking ahead to the 2026 MLB Draft, and the conversation starts with a familiar kind of pressure for a team trying to restock the pipeline. St. Louis is holding multiple picks, including a premium first-round choice, and the early read on its board points straight at the two spots that matter most: starting pitching and third base. With the draft still far away, the club has time to sort through a class that will be shaped by slot values, signability and the usual uncertainty that comes with trying to line up a long-term fit.
Cameron Flukey and Ace Reese have emerged as the names to know in that discussion, giving the Cardinals a pair of Day 1 directions that would address immediate organizational needs. The challenge is that draft boards rarely stay tidy for long, especially when a team is weighing upside against the economics of the pick, so St. Louis will have to be patient as the picture comes into focus. For now, the intrigue is less about certainty than about which path the Cardinals will trust when their turn arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Made A Franchise Shaping JJ Wetherholt Commitment
The Cardinals have moved quickly to secure one of the most important young pieces in their lineup, agreeing to a long-term extension with rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt after a strong first season in St. Louis. It is the kind of deal that signals exactly how the organization views him: not just as a promising bat, but as a player worth building around while he is still early in his career.
For the front office, the timing matters as much as the talent. The extension buys out multiple years of Wetherholts free agency and keeps him in St. Louis well beyond his initial contract window, a clear bet that his value will only keep climbing from here. With the Cardinals already seeing real production from him, the move gives the club cost certainty and a centerpiece to plan around, even if the full financial shape of the agreement is still the part everyone will be talking about. [Read more 🡒]