4 Cardinals trade chips showcase their worth at the perfect time

Even though it won’t show up on the box score, last night’s winner was Chaim Bloom.

With the Major League Baseball trade deadline just around the corner, the St. Louis Cardinals’ front office got precisely what it needed during Wednesday night’s dramatic 3-2 extra-inning victory over the rival Chicago Cubs: a perfect, high-visibility showcase for four primary trade chips.

For front offices weighing whether to pull the trigger on impending deals or squeeze maximum leverage out of suitors, individual trade deadline showcases rarely align this cleanly. On Wednesday, every heavily rumored trade piece came through in the clutch.

Cardinals win over the Cubs was the perfect storm for trade chips

Right-hander Dustin May set the tone from the mound. Returning to form at the ideal time, May spun 5.0 scoreless frames, allowing just a single hit while throwing 70 efficient pitches. For rival contenders seeking rotation reinforcement or high-upside arms, May showed the sharp command and electric movement that made him such a coveted arm prior to his recent ankle issue.

Out of the bullpen, Riley O'Brien navigated high-leverage pressure in the ninth, working out of trouble with a clutch fly out to keep the game deadlocked. In a market where contending clubs routinely overpay for proven bullpen arms, O’Brien provided fresh evidence of his ability to suppress damage in crunch time.

Lars Nootbaar, another rumored piece, came in to pinch-hit in a high-pressure situation and got a single off a 95 mph fastball.

The storybook finish belonged to catcher Iván Herrera. Trailing in the bottom of the 10th, Herrera stepped to the plate with two runners on and delivered a towering walk-off two-run double, snapping the team's three-game skid and driving the home crowd into a frenzy. Herrera’s raw power and late-game poise remain highly attractive attributes for catch-needy franchises looking for controllable, young talent. The next phone calls Bloom takes should be both the Yankees and the Red Sox reaching out to increase their offers. 

For a team that is going to be sellers at the deadline, the performances last night could not have come at a better time. Last night’s effort from every player delivered maximum value. All the rumored targets took center stage, made impact plays under pressure, and reminded potential trade partners exactly what they would be buying ahead of the deadline.

Bloom is probably still smiling this morning. 

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