For the third time in the last four seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals opted to sell at the trade deadline rather than make a serious push for the postseason. The organization moved Lars Nootbaar to Arizona and sent Dustin May and JoJo Romero to Milwaukee in exchange for additional prospects. At the same time, St. Louis quietly added depth, including Caleb Ferguson.
The strategy from president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom was straightforward: continue rebuilding the farm system instead of making a costly investment in a team with limited postseason chances. Bloom had already added four players currently ranked among the organization’s Top 20 prospects during his first offseason, and the latest deadline moves further strengthened that approach.
Now that the Cardinals are firmly focused on the next phase of their rebuild, several important decisions remain. With September call-ups approaching, three areas in particular could determine how St. Louis uses the rest of the season.
Establish a New Outfield Plan After Nootbaar’s Departure
Nootbaar’s trade created another opening in an outfield that was already unsettled. The Cardinals responded by claiming Everson Pereira off waivers from the Chicago White Sox and designating Nelson Velazquez for assignment.
The move makes sense from a short-term perspective. Velazquez managed only a .216 batting average and a .432 slugging percentage across 83 plate appearances with St. Louis. However, the Cardinals now have to establish how their outfield will look for the remainder of the season.
Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker are expected to receive significant opportunities, with Walker recently returning from a knee problem after winning this year’s Home Run Derby. Pereira now enters the competition for playing time as well.
At the same time, St. Louis needs to carefully manage the development of prospects such as Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale. Determining where those players should play and how many opportunities they receive in August and September could be more important than the team’s results on the field.
With the Cardinals no longer chasing a playoff spot, the priority should be giving young players meaningful opportunities and collecting as much information as possible ahead of 2027.
Give Young Pitchers an Extended Look
The Cardinals also have an opportunity to evaluate several young pitchers following the departure of Dustin May.
St. Louis’ rotation now features Hunter Dobbins, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante. The remaining weeks of the season should provide the organization with valuable information about which of these pitchers can become part of the long-term rotation.
Liberatore has struggled recently, including a start against Colorado in which he surrendered five runs and nine hits. Leahy, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the more reliable options, earning his eighth victory in his most recent outing.
The Cardinals also have decisions to make involving Quinn Mathews and Tekoah Roby. Mathews was optioned to Memphis around the trade deadline, while Roby is reportedly nearing the stage where he can begin facing hitters again as he continues his recovery from an elbow problem.
At this point in the rebuild, St. Louis has little reason to prioritize squeezing out a few additional victories. Instead, every remaining start should be used to determine which young arms have a legitimate chance of competing for rotation jobs next season.
Determine the Bullpen’s Future Closer
Another major question involves the ninth inning.
Riley O’Brien has quietly performed well in high-leverage situations and recently recorded his 28th save after working a scoreless ninth inning against Colorado. His performance gives the Cardinals a strong reason to consider him their primary closer moving forward.
However, Ryne Stanek remains an important piece of the equation. Stanek reportedly attracted interest before the deadline, although no trade materialized. St. Louis will now have to determine whether he remains part of the club’s bullpen plans for 2027 or becomes a potential trade candidate again during the offseason.
The Cardinals also added left-hander Caleb Ferguson from Cincinnati, while George Soriano and Peter Strzelecki remain available as additional bullpen options.
Rather than constantly shifting roles during meaningless late-season games, St. Louis would benefit from establishing clearer responsibilities. Doing so would give the front office a better understanding of which relievers deserve to remain in the organization as the rebuild progresses.
Cardinals’ Rebuild Now Enters an Important Stage
The Cardinals’ trade deadline strategy was never centered on improving their 2026 win total. The larger objective was to replenish a farm system and build a stronger foundation for the future.
Now, the organization must make those trades count.
The decisions surrounding the outfield, starting rotation and bullpen will provide St. Louis with valuable information about its current roster. If the Cardinals can use the final weeks of the season to properly evaluate their young players and prospects, the deadline sell-off could become an important step toward building a more competitive team.
The ultimate goal is to develop enough young talent and roster stability that this current rebuilding cycle can eventually come to an end, potentially setting the Cardinals up for a much stronger 2027 season.
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