If the Cardinals are going to part with Ivan Herrera, they may have stumbled into the kind of trade market that can turn one player into a jackpot.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported that the Yankees and Red Sox are among the clubs pursuing Herrera, a catcher who also gives teams the right-handed bat they’re hunting for. That combination makes him one of the more attractive names on the board, and it also explains why St. Louis would have every reason to demand a massive return.
Herrera does not sound like a simple deadline chip. The Cardinals are reportedly prepared to move Dustin May and Ryne Stanek, but Herrera is viewed differently.
He is the sort of player they would only consider dealing if an offer came back that was impossible to ignore. With catchers and right-handed hitters in short supply, there’s a real path to that kind of bidding war.
The Yankees have the kind of system that could make this interesting fast. Their farm is loaded with pitching, and several names stand out: Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange, Henry Lanlane, Ben Hess, and Hunter Dietz.
Those are power arms with secondary pitches that would fit what St. Louis has been trying to stockpile.
In a Herrera deal, even landing one or two of those pitchers would be a major win for the Cardinals.
New York’s top prospect, George Lombard, is likely not available, but 19-year-old shortstop Dax Kilby could be a real target. Baseball America ranks Kilby as the 44th-best prospect in baseball, and he brings a plus hit tool along with above-average power, speed, and fielding. Other names that could enter the conversation include Bryce Cunningham, Spencer Jones, and Thatcher Hurd.
Boston has its own appeal. The Cardinals and Red Sox have already done plenty of business in recent years, so another deal between them would not be a surprise.
Franklin Arias is probably out of reach, but Justin Gonzales is the type of bat that could make sense. The corner outfielder/first baseman has big power upside and could grow into a middle-of-the-order threat.
He is only 19, which gives him plenty of runway. Marcelo Mayer, a former first-round pick of Chaim Bloom’s in Boston, is another possible piece.
The Red Sox also have arms that would get St. Louis’ attention.
Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Juan Valera all stand out. Eyanson has been dominant in his first minor league season, putting up a 1.13 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 63.2 innings between High-A and Double-A.
Witherspoon, the 15th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, has had a rough start, but the upside is still obvious.
If both clubs push hard, the Cardinals could let the Yankees and Red Sox drive the price up against each other. That is the only way Herrera should move: for a haul.
And while the idea of St. Louis dealing him at this deadline sounds like a tough sell, the presence of Boston and New York could change the math in a hurry.
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Mozeliaks latest move in his new role with the Angels only adds to that backdrop, because it is the kind of deal Cardinals fans have been waiting to see more of from their own front office. St. Louis is expected to be active in the trade market and is looking to turn its chips into meaningful help, which puts Bloom in the spotlight right away as he tries to show the club can finally get more out of the market than it has in recent years. [Read more 🡒]
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For Cardinals fans, the part worth watching is how the Cubs are mapping out the days around the deadline rather than just the weekend itself. Javier Assad is expected to handle the first game after the deadline, which suggests Chicago is trying to bridge the gap until any new arm is ready to take over, while Imanaga continues to carry the kind of recent form that makes every turn through the rotation feel a little more consequential. [Read more 🡒]
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The Cardinals are heading toward the trade deadline as clear sellers, and the list of names that could come up is already familiar: pitchers like Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Riley O'Brien and Ryne Stanek, plus a few others who might fit a market looking for help. For a club trying to sort out both the present and the future, these next few weeks figure to be more about trimming than adding, especially if the front office decides it needs to clear room for younger pieces.
What makes the conversation more complicated is the possibility that a productive left-handed bat could be part of that shuffle. St. Louis has a surplus in that area, and there is a real argument that moving one of those hitters could help create roster flexibility, even if it comes at a cost to the offense. The Cardinals also have to weigh what they want their lineup to look like beyond this season, which is why the trade-deadline picture feels a little less straightforward than a simple seller's checklist. [Read more 🡒]