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Cardinals’ Riley-O’Brien Dominance Creates New Trade Buzz

Apr 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the tenth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

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Cardinals’ Riley-O’Brien Dominance Creates New Trade Buzz

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 20, 2026 11:00 AM ET

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In a perfect world, the St. Louis Cardinals' hot streak to kick off the 2026 Major League Baseball season will continue throughout the entire campaign.

St. Louis has been playing good baseball overall, the young guys have stepped up and simply put, this team is fun to watch. We're seeing guys take a step in the right direction, like Jordan Walker. Michael McGreevy is another guy who has firmly taken a massive step forward as he has a 2.49 ERA in four starts so far this season.

Another guy who has been electric so far this season for St. Louis has been closer Riley O'Brien. St. Louis acquired O'Brien from the Seattle Mariners back in 2023 in exchange for cash. At the time, O'Brien had just two games of big league experience under his belt. In 2024, he pitched in just eight games as a member of the Cardinals and had an 11.25 ERA. O'Brien was healthy, for the most part, in 2025 and really broke out with a 2.06 ERA in 42 appearances. He was excellent, but has been even better so far this season.

O'Brien has pitched in 12 games for the Cardinals in 2026 and hasn't allowed an earned run yet while recording six saves already. His command has been his calling card and has a 14-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 1/3 innings pitched. He has been so good that the Cardinals have essentially had to plan for just eight innings on nights he's available, because you know he's going to lock down the ninth.

O'Brien has been incredibly valuable for the Cardinals. But what about the other teams around the league? In fact, ESPN's David Schoenfield called O'Brien the top trade candidate on the Cardinals right now.

Should The Cardinals Consider Trading Riley O'Brien?

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

"St. Louis Cardinals," Schoenfield wrote. "Trade candidate: Riley O'Brien. Likely need: Prospects. The Cardinals signed Dustin May to a one-year deal largely with the idea of potentially trading him if he was having a good season, but O'Brien will draw the most interest. A 31-year-old reliever who had a breakout season with a 2.06 ERA in 48 innings last year, he has been even better in 2026 with his sinker/sweeper/slider repertoire.

"O'Brien is throwing 98 mph and hasn't issued a walk while serving as the Cardinals' closer. He's under team control for four more years, so there's no need to trade him. But with the way he's pitching, it could be an opportunity for the Cardinals to acquire a premium prospect for an older reliever they originally acquired for cash from the Mariners."

Arguably, this isn't necessarily a direction the team needs to go in. First and foremost, they are winning. The Cardinals are 13-8 on the season so far, just a half-game back of first place in the National League Central. They shouldn't be thinking trade at all right now, unless they come back down to earth.

Plus, who would have thought when the season began that after about one month O'Brien would be viewed as the club's top trade chip? Both JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar were talked about as trade candidates all throughout the offseason, although neither were moved. There was no trade buzz around O'Brien at all. But, here we are.

When it comes to O'Brien, the idea makes sense. His value is at a peak right now. If he can keep this level of play up through the summer, there would surely be teams out there willing to pay a premium for his services. But this is a guy who is under team control through the 2030 season. So, there really isn't any need to rush for St. Louis. Sure, his value is high. But what if the Cardinals keep up this level of play this year or are among the league's top contenders in the near future? The Cardinals have O'Brien under team control for four more seasons and he's cheap.

Again, it's not the most egregious idea of all-time, by any means. But someone like Romero, who will be a free agent after the season, should be viewed more as a trade candidate. Or even Nootbaar. If the Cardinals were to get an offer they couldn't refuse, then, of course you would consider everything. But this isn't necessarily a move the team needs to make right now.

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

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