Cardinals-Blue Jays Mock Trade Sends Breakout Star to Toronto for Prospects

Apr 14, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches against the Cleveland Guardians during the tenth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals-Blue Jays Mock Trade Sends Breakout Star to Toronto for Prospects

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Apr 22, 2026 8:00 PM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a massive rebuild right now. They traded three relievers at the trade deadline last season, landing a solid haul of prospects in the trio of trades. This offseason, they traded four of their top veteran players, with Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado all finding new teams.

Still, the Cardinals won 14 of their first 23 games this season, placing themselves near the top of the National League Central. But that shouldn't change their plans. They're still in the middle of a rebuild. Their roster isn't built to win right now. And they have a few players who make sense as trade chips early in the season.

Reliever Riley O'Brien has been excellent this year, and he makes a lot of sense as a trade candidate.

Jeff Hoffman's struggles could ignite trade for Riley O'Brien

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The Toronto Blue Jays could be a fit for the Cardinals' righty. While their bullpen has been solid as a whole, Jeff Hoffman has struggled tremendously as the team's closer. The starting pitching hasn't been great in Toronto either, aside from the dominance of Dylan Cease and Kevin Gausman.

The Blue Jays have been outscored by their opponents this season, which isn't a good sign after going to the World Series last year.

Adding another solid reliever could take a lot of pressure off the starters in Toronto. It could also take some pressure off Hoffman if the Blue Jays add another controllable righty that can work the ninth inning.

What would it cost?

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Here's a mock trade that could potentially get a deal done:

Blaine Bulland is the Blue Jays' No. 15-ranked prospect, and he would be a bit of a lottery ticket addition for the Cardinals. He's in his first year of pro ball and is currently slashing .188/.305/.438 in Low-A. Bullard is an excellent athlete with a good glove and a strong arm, but he needs to develop as a hitter. The Cardinals have time to develop him, as they're not going to be in true contention for a few more years.

Sean Keys has been excellent for the Blue Jays' Double-A roster this year. He's slashing .347/.467/.776 with six home runs. This comes after he clubbed 42 extra-base hits last season. The potential to slug is certainly there for the young infielder.

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

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