2 buy options and 2 sell options for the 2026 trade deadline

As we near the middle of the 2026 MLB season, the St. Louis Cardinals have overachieved all expectations. The rebuilding Redbirds were not positioned to contend for 2026, with sights aimed at competing in the future. The young roster heard the doubt and has the team in the middle of the wild card race heading into the month of July. President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom is now facing the tough position of deciding to approach the trade deadline as a seller to continue rebuilding towards the next great Cardinals core, or as a buyer to keep this rejuvenated team in the position to compete and reach the postseason for the first time in four years.

The team is in a prime position to accomplish both things. Ownership does not want to acquire rentals, with focus remaining on the future. They do recognize the recent success and do not want to waste the opportunity to capitalize on the moment. The team has the capital to accomplish both this coming deadline and should do so. The current team can be enhanced while not sacrificing the future in the process. The question becomes who do they sell to retain future value, and who can they buy that will solidify a late-season push into October? Here are two options to sell and two options to buy:

Players to sell:

The most obvious candidate to sell is starting pitcher Dustin May. He was signed this past off-season as a rental piece designed for a bounce-back campaign to sell high come the deadline. The Cardinals experiment worked, as May is having a career resurgence in 2026. May started off slow, but heated up after April and has not slowed down. The right-hander has posted a 0.6 WAR with 3.32 FIP and 1.195 WHIP across 83.2 IP. He has almost completed 2 no hitters over the last month and tossed one of the few complete games on the season. May has been injury-riddled for years and has only reached 100 IP in a season one time in his career. He has pitched the second-highest amount of innings in 2026 so far and might surpass his career high mark. The odds are becoming very high that this will be done playing for a different team to finish out the season.

The other player who has a high chance of being sold at the deadline is Lars Nootbaar. The Cardinals veteran outfielder has made his long-awaited return to the team after recovering from heel surgery from the offseason. When healthy, Nootbaar is one of the most consistent players on the roster, showcasing reliable outfield defense countering with a consistent offensive bat. The problem for Noot is his ceiling has already been reached. He will average you around 115 games played, with around 2 WAR over the season and a 110 OPS+. He is someone you want on the roster with regular playing time, but he is not a pillar to build around. With a wave of outfield prospects coming through the pipeline including Joshua Baez, Nootbaar is becoming an hourglass that is running out of sand. The 28-year-old will be a free agent after the 2027 season and is having a strong 2026 season so far. The time to sell has never been higher than right now.

Players to buy:

Buying at the deadline might be a difficult task for the Cardinals. This is an inflated market where serious contenders are overpaying to acquire rental talent to give the edge heading into the postseason. The Cardinals will not be shopping in this market as they look to acquire cost-controlled players to continue their core development. The trick is acquiring someone who can keep a strong floor in place for 2026 contention but is under contract for multiple years to help push this team to the next level. There might not be very many sellers to cover this need, but there will always be teams open to negotiation. The two players that make the most sense:

Michael Wacha would be the perfect veteran to add into the clubhouse. The Cardinals organization and player reunions has become insanity at this point, as we see it time and time again. While many players are brought back to fill a short-term need, this one can make an immediate impact while also be a catalyst for future team development. The former Cardinals ace has found back-half success to his career dating back to his stint with the Red Sox in 2022. The now Royals veteran hurler is showing no signs of slowing down and is aging like fine wine. In 3 seasons with Kansas City, he has posted 8.2 WAR which has almost matched his Cardinals career total of 8.8 in four fewer seasons. In 440.1 IP he has posted a 3.58 ERA, 115 ERA+, 3.70 FIP, and 1.197 WHIP. He has been extremely durable during this run showing he has overcome the early career injuries and is posting ace-level numbers for a struggling Royals team. Under contract until 2029, he is the perfect candidate to bolster the current rotation while having a strong veteran presence back in the rotation who can mentor the next crop of Cardinals pitchers into reliable MLB arms.

The bullpen also needs an upgrade to carry them through 2026 and provide more confidence heading into 2027 and beyond. Garrett Whitlock is the best answer to the Cardinals' needs. The Boston Red Sox reliever is one of the few bright spots to the team in 2026, as the Red Sox are in free fall and expected to sell at the deadline. They have a valuable trade chip in Whitlock, who has been one of the most steady relievers in the game during his career. The right-handed reliever in 339.1 IP has posted 8.5 WAR, 2.81 ERA, 140 ERA+, 3.14 FIP, and 1.091 WHIP. He might not be a flashy backend piece to the bullpen like his teammate Aroldis Chapman. But Whitlock is someone you can plug and play almost on a nightly basis and expect damage control at all times.

The young offense in St. Louis is flashing a very high ceiling and needs a sustainable pitching staff to keep the team in games. Having a proven veteran who is in the peak of their career is assurance to a young pitching staff who cannot always stretch out innings across a full 162-game schedule. Whitlock would be a very effective piece to elevate the 2026 team while also providing stability to the bullpen up until the 2029 season.

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