8 trade deadline acquisitions Chaim Bloom, Cardinals can target for 2027 and beyond

The St. Louis Cardinals have been surprisingly good in 2026. This has complicated their trade deadline plans. While the team still looks to be a seller this year, there are several other deals they could make to maintain this momentum and build for the future.

Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, and Riley O'Brien have all been mentioned as obvious players the Cardinals could trade. Lars Nootbaar, Andre Pallante, Nolan Gorman, and several others could also be moved in the right deal. These moves would be clear indications that Chaim Bloom doesn't expect to contend for a National League Pennant in 2026 or 2027.

There is a way for Bloom to be both a buyer and a seller, though. He can trade players on expiring contracts to restock the farm system. He can also trade from a deep farm system to supplement the major-league team with players who have ample team control.

Starting pitching, outfield help, particularly in center field, and a reliable third baseman should all be on Chaim's shopping list at the deadline should he look to make trades to bolster the team for contention in 2027 and beyond.

These 8 players with team control should be targets for Chaim Bloom and the St. Louis Cardinals.

LHP Reid Detmers - free agent after 2028

Reid Detmers, more or less, fits the Cardinals' window of contention. Acquiring him would give them a reliable starter for the rest of this year, and he'll be around the next two years as pitchers like Quinn Mathews, Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Tanner Franklin rise. He could be the "veteran" on a staff while the Cardinals enter their primary window of contention.

This year, Detmers, 27, has a 4.05 ERA and a 3.27 FIP with 136 strikeouts in 120 innings. After a couple of years of floating between the bullpen and the rotation, Detmers has established himself as a No. 2 starting pitcher in most rotations in the majors.

Acquiring Detmers won't be cheap. Tim Britton of The Athletic posited a top-50 prospect in baseball, of which the Cardinals have a few. Quinn Mathews, Liam Doyle, Joshua Baez, Tanner Franklin, and Rainiel Rodriguez all fit that bill. Is Chaim Bloom willing to sacrifice a controllable prospect for a proven starting pitcher with a couple of years of control via arbitration?

RHP Michael Wacha - free agent after 2028

The Cardinals were the ones who drafted Michael Wacha and saw him have success early in his career. A return to St. Louis would be both serendipitous and advantageous for St. Louis.

Wacha, 35, is having another strong year with a 3.66 ERA and a 4.03 FIP. He leads the league in innings pitched and batters faced, and his selection to the 2026 American League All-Star Team proves that he still has what it takes.

Wacha has been uber consistent since 2022. He's owed about $7.5 million for the rest of this year along with $14 million next year and a club option for 2028 valued at $14 million. Acquiring Michael Wacha would cost less in prospect value than Reid Detmers, but he still won't come as cheap as some might like.

3B Zack Gelof - free agent after 2030

St. Louis third basemen rank second-to-last in bWAR production ahead of only the Philadelphia Phillies. Blaze Jordan has been the primary third baseman ever since Nolan Gorman was demoted, but Jordan has a 79 OPS+ through 91 at-bats, and his defense has been passable. Giving Blaze Jordan time would be wise, but a serious upgrade at the hot corner should be a priority for Chaim Bloom.

He can get a jumpstart on that improvement at the deadline.

The Athletics have an eye on building a team for Las Vegas, and Zack Gelof might be a product of a sell-off for a team without hopes to make it to the postseason this year. Gelof has a .273/.327/.426 slash line with 11 home runs and a 115 OPS+. Defensively, Gelof has been a plus defender according to both Outs Above Average (+1) and Defensive Runs Saved (+6).

Gelof is currently on the 10-day Injured List, but recent reports have been positive regarding his recovery. If the Athletics start a fire sale, the Cardinals could nab Gelof to help their team both now and in the future at a position of need.

3B Casey Schmitt - free agent after 2030

Here's the big catch.

Casey Schmitt has been a plus hitter throughout his small career who can capably play multiple positions. He's essentially a right-handed hitting Brendan Donovan but with more power and less on-base tendencies. He's hit 20 home runs this year with a .273/.303/.484 slugging percentage for a 120 OPS+.

Acquiring Casey Schmitt, who may not be for sale despite the San Francisco Giants' horrendous season, would cost a lot. A couple of top organizational prospects should get the job done, or perhaps several solid prospects throughout the minors might suffice. Regardless, acquiring a potential cornerstone third baseman should be worth it for St. Louis.

RHPs Emerson Hancock/George Kirby - free agents in 2031 and 2029, respectively

I placed these two pitchers in the same group because it feels like a "take your pick" situation in Seattle. The Mariners are desperate for right-handed hitting, and they have pitching in spades. They're currently employing a six-man rotation, and they have prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan in the minors who are quite close to being ready. Each pitcher comes with his strengths here, and the Cardinals could take their pick if they can match Seattle's ask.

Hancock has found health and stability this year, posting a 3.16 ERA and 3.72 FIP through 105.1 innings. He's striking out batters at a modest 23.4% clip while walking just 6.3% of batters. He's under team control through 2031, so trading for him will cost a hefty amount. Ivan Herrera (plus a pitching prospect) and Joshua Baez are probably near the top of the list for Seattle.

Kirby will enter free agency two years earlier than Hancock, but he has a stronger track record of success. He has a 3.57 ERA and 3.24 FIP through 116 innings this year. His career 23.6% K rate outpaces Hancock's, but he's seen a dip in strikeouts this year. Kirby wouldn't be as costly as Hancock; maybe just Ivan Herrera would suffice.

Landing a pitcher of this quality would do a lot for a middling Cardinals' rotation. It would cost quite a bit, but if St. Louis and Seattle can match up, there's plenty from either side to offer.

RHP Ryan Zeferjahn - free agent in 2031

We've now entered the reliever portion of this article. The Cardinals clearly need help in the bullpen, so let's beef it up now! Also, I'd like to offer a shout-out to Jake Wood of VivaElBirdos for this excellent find.

Ryan Zeferjahn employs a three-pitch mix highlighted by a wipeout slider, a fastball that sits 97-98 MPH, and a slider. He has a 3.83 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP while striking out a crazy 32.4% of batters he faces. He's logged three saves with seven holds this year.

Zeferjahn has a career 4.02 ERA, and he's rebounded nicely from a rough 2025 season. As is the case with any reliever, results can be volatile. He has ample control, but the cost of relievers, even controllable ones, at the deadline is often much lesser than the cost of acquiring controllable starters or game-changing position players.

RHP Caleb Kilian - free agent in 2032

Caleb Kilian is another deep-cut reliever target for the Cardinals. The Giants are going to be sellers this year, and they could look to bring in some high-level prospects by trading a controllable reliever like Kilian.

Kilian's career ERA of 6.52 is concerning, but he's seeing much better results in his fourth year in the majors. After spending 2022-2024 with the Chicago Cubs following a trade to Chicago for Kris Bryant, Kilian rejoined the Giants this past offseason on a minor-league deal. He's made the most of his second chance with the team that originally drafted him.

Kilian has a 4.69 ERA this year with a much more tolerable 3.75 FIP and a 1.34 WHIP. He's striking out 27% of batters while walking 10.1% of the time. There are some control concerns here, but

Kilian has been the Giants' closer since mid-June, and since then he's allowed 10 runs in just 10.2 innings. There's certainly concern with Kilian, but he's controllable and he has excellent strikeout stuff.

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