Cardinals Next Stretch Could Determine Trade Deadline Strategy

The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have cooled off a bit after a red-hot month of May. They have started off the month of June 1-4 and have lost their last two series.

Now, things get more difficult with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays coming to town and a road trip beginning with a series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

They are in buyer's territory right now as the trade deadline approaches, but they could also sell off a piece or two.

Katie Woo of The Athletic noted that this stretch of games the Cardinals have in June will be very important.

"The club has just one scheduled off day until July 3 and will welcome the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers to town for a three-game set over the weekend," Woo wrote.

"How the team plays overall in June could have heavy ramifications on the organization’s trade deadline plans come July."

The trade deadline is July 31. The month of June will be very important, as they play several tough opponents.

After a brief break in the schedule with series against the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis will close June with series against the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians, last year's American League Central champions.

If the Cardinals can't stay in contention, expect several players on expiring contracts to be moved at the deadline. This includes Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, and possibly even Miles Mikolas.

We'll see how they perform in June.