Cardinals 'Very Unlikely' to Make 2026 Trade Deadline Splash

Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals 'Very Unlikely' to Make 2026 Trade Deadline Splash

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated May 25, 2026 8:15 AM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals are in second place in the National League Central right now, but don't expect to see any massive fireworks around the team this season.

St. Louis is seven games above .500 at 29-22, but it still is in the middle of a season that was expected to be the beginning of a reset under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. He has said himself that the club's hot start to the season hasn't changed the way the club views the strategy of the campaign. Hopefully, St. Louis keeps winning, but don't expect the club to go out and make a splash to add some sort of big-name piece of the stretch run this year.

One thing that adds even more fuel to this idea is the fact that ESPN's Jeff Passan said that the club is "very unlikely to upgrade significantly" at the 2026 trade deadline, while he picked the National League team in the playoff race right now that he thinks will fall out of it.

The Cardinals Aren't Going To Add A Big Piece

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"The Cardinals," Passan wrote. "They have far exceeded expectations, and among JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson, they've got an enviable lineup quartet. At the end of the day, it's hard to pick a team dead last in strikeout rate by pitchers to make the postseason, though.

"And considering the Cardinals are very unlikely to upgrade significantly at the trade deadline -- even if they're ahead of schedule in their rebuild, new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is not the sort to deal high-caliber prospects -- this is a team with regression written all over it."

In a perfect world, the Cardinals will continue to prove people wrong and stay hot throughout the campaign. But, again, don't expect some sort of major addition to come to town. Bloom has said it himself that he doesn't expect the club's strategy to change. Now, the league's top insider also said that he thinks that it's "very unlikely" a big upgrade is coming to town.

If the Cardinals are going to get better, it's going to be internally. St. Louis has a handful of intriguing prospects at the top of the club's farm system. No. 3 prospect Joshua Báez and No. 7 prospect Jimmy Crooks come to mind. Plus, Lars Nootbaar will be back soon. This club can get better, but don't expect some sort of deal

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

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