Could Cardinals Steal Next Superstar From Cubs?

One big talking point swirling around the St. Louis Cardinals right now is about their trade deadline plans.

St. Louis has a 44-38 record entering play on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians. The Cardinals have the necessary pieces to make a run this year, but with John Mozeliak set to leave his role as president of baseball operations after the season and Chaim Bloom taking over, would they really mortgage the future in any way for the present?

Maybe. But, most likely not. It all depends on how the next few weeks go.

But, Mozeliak recently also hinted that the Cardinals ownership know at some point they will have to add more star power to the organization. So, who could fit in St. Louis? FanSided's Thomas Gauvain shared a column discussing this topic with a few names.

One player they threw out there was Chicago Cubs star Kyle Tucker.

"OF Kyle Tucker," Gauvain said. "Ironically, Kyle Tucker will headline the 2025-2026 MLB free agent group. He'll likely land a $400 million contract, too. Tucker is an exceptional outfielder, and he'll be in his age-29 season next year, so whoever signs him will have at least four more years of peak performance out of Tucker. He certainly fits the 'star' bill, but the Cardinals will have to beat out several other bidders for Tucker's services in free agency. The most likely route for the Cardinals to acquire a star would be their most typical way: a trade.

"John Mozeliak has traded for stars like Matt Holliday, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado during his tenure. Chaim Bloom will have to do the same if he wants a star and doesn't think his own players will reach that level of play. There are two challenges with this approach. First, star players aren't often available for trades. Second, it will cost quite a bit to land a top-30 player via trade."

It would be incredible to get a guy like Tucker in town, but this sounds like a pipe dream. Gauvain noted isn't likely. Tucker is going to be the most sought-after free agent this upcoming offseason and is going to land a mega deal. If the Cardinals want to quickly return to contention, he's the type of guy who would help. But, this unfortunately doesn't seem likely.