The One Scenario Where Cardinals Could Trade Ivan Herrera

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) hits a walk-off two-run double against the Chicago Cubs in the tenth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The One Scenario Where Cardinals Could Trade Ivan Herrera

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Aug 1, 2026 12:00 PM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals are spiraling out of control. Earlier this year, they looked like a playoff contender despite entering a rebuild. Their young players were making the most of their opportunities and helping the team outperform its expectations.

Things have changed, however. As the month of August begins, St. Louis is now two games below .500 and is very likely to sell at the trade deadline, which will take place on Monday.

Ivan Herrera's name has popped up in trade rumors lately, and if the Cardinals were to move him, they could get something good for him. 2011 World Series champion Lance Lynn shared his opinion on a trade and the one scenario in which he would do that.

"The only way that he gets traded is if they do not see him as an everyday or let's say 100 days behind the plate a year catcher," Lynn said. "They don't have a young projected ace. They have some guys that project as threes, but you can't have a rotation full of threes and expect to be winning championships."

"The only way he gets traded is if they don't see him as an everyday catcher."

Lance Lynn discusses the possibility of the Cardinals trading Iván Herrera. pic.twitter.com/Juhk3rC47K
— Cardinal Territory (@CardTerritory) July 31, 2026

Will Cardinals Trade Ivan Herrera?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals should only trade Herrera if they can get some elite young pitching in exchange. If they cannot do that, then holding onto him makes more sense, because the supply of right-handed bats, both on the trade market and within the Cardinals' system is thin.

In that case, Herrera is simply too valuable to move, but if the Cardinals can get something good for him, then as Lynn said, it is worth considering. He could be one of the team's most valuable trade chips depending on what the return for him would look like.

As of now, keeping him is likely the best plan unless a team blows the Cardinals away with an offer. They need a right-handed hitter, but if he is traded, the Cardinals could potentially find a right-handed bat in free agency to fill the designated hitter role.

The Cardinals also have a lot of catching depth, and Herrera struggles with throwing runners out, so perhaps using him as a DH is their best call if they're going to keep him on the roster.

It will be interesting to see what the market looks like in the next few days and if the Cardinals start to make some moves. The clock is ticking, and the deadline will be here very soon.

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

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