Cardinals No. 5 Prospect Called Blockbuster Trade Candidate

With the way the St. Louis Cardinals are playing, they look like a team that should add around the July 31st trade deadline rather than subtracting.

There still are roughly two months to go until the deadline passes on July 31st. The Cardinals currently are 32-24 on the season so far and have been one of the best overall teams in baseball throughout the month of May. If the Cardinals can keep this up into June and July, they will be cooking.

Their deadline plans still seem to be completely up in the air, though. One difference for the Cardinals in comparison to othe teams is the fact that it already is known that there will be a transition with Chaim Bloom taking over as president of baseball operations after the season. This complicates matters. Will the Cardinals trade away pieces that could help in the long term for short-term success? Who knows.

This isn't a situation that is typical but the Cardinals are thriving. This has led to a lot of buzz, including speculation about who could be moved to help the team right now. For example, FanSided's Zach Pressnell made a hypothetical list of three guys that could be moved "in exchange for a playoff run" and mentioned No. 5 prospect Thomas Saggese.

"Cardinals trade chip 2: INF Thomas Saggese," Pressnell said. "The Cardinals have seen a lot of success in their infield this season. Willson Contreras and Masyn Winn both look like long term solutions at first base and shortstop, respectively. Nolan Arenado has been a tremendous defensive third baseman while being locked in the lineup for the next few years due to his contract. Brendan Donovan is a utility man, but he has been excellent at second base.

"The future of second base in St. Louis is the team's top prospect JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt is smashing Double-A pitching this season and could eventually make his way to Triple-A over the next few weeks. This puts prospect Thomas Saggese in a tough spot for the Cardinals. Saggese was excellent when he got the opportunity to play in the big leagues, but it doesn't seem like he'll have that chance again unless there are injuries or Arenado is traded. Where does that leave him? Likely on the trade block."

Saggese was acquired by the Cardinals when they sold off in 2023. They landed him from the Texas Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery deal. He has appeared in 15 games in the big leagues this year and slashed in .341/.364/.512 with one homer and seven RBIs. Should the Cardinals consider flipping him for more talent to help right now?