Cardinals' Biggest Trade Deadline Need Has Become Increasingly Clear

Aug 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; A detailed view of a baseball glove and St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout during the game between the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cardinals' Biggest Trade Deadline Need Has Become Increasingly Clear

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Shaun McAvoy | Last updated Jul 16, 2026 6:00 PM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals are preparing to start the second half of the season, just one game out of the playoffs, a spot nobody expected them to be in at this point of the season.

The Cardinals were in an identical position through 95 games last year with a 50-45 record, but a slow start to the second half of the season led the team to become sellers at the trade deadline. St. Louis' six-game West Coast stretch could make or break the team's approach to the deadline.

If the Cardinals do wind up buying at the trade deadline, it would still be surprising to see them make a big splash on the trade market, prioritizing keeping their young core together. Clearly, St. Louis' biggest need is to add an innings-eating starting pitcher to their rotation.

Cardinals need to bolster their starting rotation

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"The Cardinals are highly unlikely to trade future assets for short-term gains; the goal is still to bolster the farm system and build for 2027 and beyond," MLB.com's Will Leitch wrote on Wednesday. "But even with Bloom and company keeping their eyes on the horizon, there’s no question that this team also wants to win now while it has a chance. There is no reason to believe the team won't be given every opportunity to do so.

"It’s clearly an innings-eating starting pitcher. Cardinals starters continue to hold up and provide valuable innings despite having one of the lower strikeout rates in baseball. But as we saw in a brutal home series against the Brewers before the break, the Cardinals have no margin for error or injury with a thin pitching staff. Another starter would give St. Louis a little breathing room and ease some pressure on an increasingly overworked bullpen. And if the Cardinals end up selling? Young pitching will be the focus across the board."

The Cardinals' starting rotation has been solid this season, boasting a 4.08 ERA, which ranks No. 10 in the league. Despite the success of St. Louis' starting rotation, the team is relatively thin at the starting pitcher position. If the Cardinals elected to trade a pitcher at the trade deadline, like Dustin May, or had a player go down with an injury, they would be in trouble quickly.

Trading for a pitcher would help bolster St. Louis' rotation, but would also give the team more security down the stretch, which could make all the difference as the Cardinals fight for a spot in the playoffs.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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