Cardinals Predicted To Make Bold Trade Deadline Decision

The St. Louis Cardinals have run off quite an impressive start to May. Though they lost their win streak before they could get to 10 in a row, they Cardinals have firmly placed themselves in the middle of the postseason race.

Because of this, there's been a lot of speculation as to whether the Cardinals would be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Though it's too early to tell, that hasn't stopped many in the media from making their best guess on the matter.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently suggested the Cardinals would be buyers at the trade deadline, specifically noting they could target starting pitching in the coming weeks.

"Veteran ace Sonny Gray and breakout lefty Matthew Liberatore have been a solid one-two punch for the Cardinals, and the rotation as a whole has been better than expected, but a quality third starter to join that duo could be their top priority if they continue to exceed expectations," Reuter wrote. "Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde and Andre Pallante currently make up the rest of the starting staff, but all would be better served as back-end options."

The Cardinals' rotation could use some help, but the front office likely saw the minor league options filling these holes rather than trade targets. Still, a trade might not be out of the picture, especially if Miles Mikolas takes a step back in the coming weeks.

The Cardinals could target a controllable pitcher to fill this role. Somebody like Luis Castillo or Sandy Alcántara could fit as a controllable, but expensive, option for the Cardinals to trade for. It doesn't seem very likely, but it's an option the Cardinals could explore this season.