Cubs land an ace, launching Cardinals and NL Central into trade deadline arms race

The starting pitching trade market is moving like greased lightning. The Tarik Skubal trade was eye-watering to see as a baseball fan, which the Tampa Bay Rays followed up by acquiring Freddy Peralta. And now, the Chicago Cubs have announced themselves at the party, landing Kevin Gausman for a package of low-ceiling, high-floor prospects.

None of those players specifically were on the radar of the St. Louis Cardinals; all three veteran starters are rentals, which we already know Chaim Bloom has little interest in as he attempts to build toward the future. It was never realistic to hope that the Redbirds would trade legitimate prospect talent for short-term help.

However, now that the Cubs have gotten involved, it's clear that the NL Central is going to be an absolute gauntlet over the final two months of the season. With the Cardinals falling behind pace a bit in the second half, it may behoove them to make a big deal for a controllable starter if the price is right.

Rental pitcher trade frenzy gives Cardinals perfect cover to pivot to a controllable starter

Trying to walk the tightrope between buying and selling is a difficult task, especially on deadline day itself. Bloom may simply choose to let it ride with the roster as is if he can't find any deals to his liking, which wouldn't be the worst path in the world. Standing pat is rarely advisable, but the Cardinals are ahead of schedule and still finding their identity with this new core.

Then again, they have loads of MLB-ready talent to trade in a blockbuster, which would alleviate any stress that such trades usually put on a farm system. All-Star closer Riley O'Brien and injured set-up man JoJo Romero are valuable relievers; Iván Herrera is one of the best available catchers and comes with team control through 2029; and Lars Nootbaar has been a hot name on the rumor mill in recent days.

If a contending team like the Mariners wants to upgrade their offense right now in exchange for a controllable starter, the Cardinals should be happy to oblige. Perhaps even someone like Joe Ryan would make sense, though his pending free agency after the 2027 season might be a little too narrow to fit the team's timeline.

Regardless of what form a pitcher takes, it's clear the Cardinals need one to stay attached to the ruling class of the division. The Cubs aren't going to stop adding pitchers, while the Brewers have been connected to nearly every available name on the market. If the goal is to seriously compete for a playoff spot in 2026, there's no doubt about what Bloom has to accomplish before the trade deadline passes.

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