As the trade deadline approaches, the future looks bright for the Cardinals

As the trade deadline approaches, and the Cardinals’ roster appears to look a bit different come Monday night, perhaps a dose of perspective is needed for a segment of Cardinals Nation.

This year’s deadline is shaping up to leave some (perhaps even a majority?) rather disappointed, as a surprising start to the 2026 season has endured quite the thud since the All-Star break.  Just like last year, the stumble out of the gates to begin the second half of the year has left the Cardinals as clear sellers.

It seems near-certain that Dustin May and JoJo Romero will be gone. Riley O’Brien, Lars Nootbaar, and others may join them.  The good vibes of the beginning of the season have given way to the stark reality of asset accumulation.

I’ll admit, at times I’ve needed to include myself in that group that leans toward disappointment or even anger. After the surreal Home Run Derby, with Jordan Walker’s dramatic win, it was hard not to get high on how magical this season could become, even with the stumble the team endured prior to the All-Star break.

More than that, though, there’s a segment of the fan base (including me, again) that simply raised its expectations for this season. As the Cardinals continued to surprise for the first half of the season, as they continued to bounce back from every tough loss with a big win, it was hard not to think that this might be a surprise playoff team. 

Hence the need for the dose of perspective.

2026 was always about the future for the Cardinals

Elated is probably too strong of a word but, in remembering what this season was supposed to be, Cardinals fans should be quite satisfied with the state of the team. This was a clear rebuild year, and the goal was and always has been to discover who the team could rely on going forward.

Not only has that goal been met so far, but it’s become clear that the rebuild is so much further along than anticipated.  Jordan Walker has ascended to be the middle-of-the-order bat this team has desperately needed for years. JJ Wetherholt has been everything fans could have hoped for, and more.  Alec Burleson has shown he can be a reliable bat, and at worst, a serviceable first baseman.

On the pitching side, Michael McGreevy has shown enough that he should be considered part of the core going forward. Kyle Leahy may not be in the same boat, but he has absolutely rewarded the team’s insistence on sticking with him as a starter. Andre Pallante may remain an enigma, but his bounce-back season is encouraging.

And there are intriguing options on the horizon. Hunter Dobbins appears to be the 2026 version of McGreevy. Quinn Matthews looks like he may be joining the rotation sooner rather than later. Jurrangelo Cijntje and Liam Doyle offer more hope and, further down in the system, Brandon Clarke and Tanner Franklin have completely upended expectations of what they could become. Top three prospects Joshua Baez and Rainel Rodriguez have left fans salivating this year.

Even the duds have been illustrative. It appears clear now that Matthew Liberatore should be a bullpen arm and Nolan Gorman, outside of a Walker-esque adjustment, is not the future at third base. Victor Scott III may one day still be a regular, but as of now he looks like a fourth outfielder and defensive replacement at best.

Things are looking so much better than they were just a few years ago, and the fact that fans could even feel disappointment in July is indicative of how much further along the rebuild is than initially thought.

So yes, it is a shame that the team likely won’t have October plans this year. But the future seems so much brighter than it has in years.

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