Cardinals-Cubs Series Could Influence John Mozeliak’s ‘Big Decision’

The St. Louis Cardinals' performance in this week’s games, particularly against the division-leading Chicago Cubs, could significantly shape their trade deadline strategy.

It might seem bold to suggest that a mere week of contests could influence how St. Louis views its deadline blueprint, but The Athletic's Katie Woo, one of the most respected Cardinals writers in the business, made that very suggestion on Monday.

“(This week is) definitely important,” Woo said on the Inside Baseball program, alluding to St. Louis' two series this week against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cubs, respectively.

“This NL Central is no joke. … These division games matter. Every game is important, of course, but especially (in) the NL Central when you think about just how tight the National League is overall. The Cardinals certainly have their work cut out for them, but as we get closer and closer to the All-Star break, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has a big decision to make (about) what he’s going to do at the trade deadline. Whether the Cardinals buy, whether they sell, whether they hold, or if they continue to balance runway versus results ... how this week (plays) out for the Cardinals could play a part in that decision.”

St. Louis didn't get the week off to a great start. The Cardinals lost 7-0 to the Pirates on Monday. However, the week is young, and the Cardinals are still a healthy 47-39, three games back of the Cubs and in possession of the third NL wild-card spot.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the week, it'll be fascinating to watch how Mozeliak handles the deadline operations in his final season at the helm.

Organizationally, the Cardinals have done an immaculate job of balancing development with a win-now mentality in 2025. A lot of credit is owed to manager Oli Marmol for that, but Mozeliak is part of that success, too. The question is, will Mozeliak be tempted to lean toward buyer status if the Cardinals look even more like a contender in a week or two than they do now?

As Woo alluded to, that scenario might involve St. Louis having a successful series versus the Cubs.

Of course, losing a series to the Pirates before that ever happens might make this all a moot point.