Early returns on former Cardinals prove St. Louis won the trade deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals were destined to be sellers at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline from the start of the offseason. They ended up doing just that, trading away veteran rental pitchers in Dustin May and JoJo Romero and jovial outfielder Lars Nootbaar. Thus far, these players' performances for their new teams haven't been inspiring.

The Cardinals traded away these three veterans and received four top-25 organizational prospects in return: outfielders Alexander Frias (#4) and Josiah Ragsdale (#11) and pitchers Daniel Eagan (#22) and Sandro Santana (#24). These players are likely a year away or more from the majors, but they provide valuable depth and upside to the farm system. Chaim Bloom's remake of the minor leagues in St. Louis has been hugely important for the rebuilding franchise.

It's important for these prospects to develop and perform for the Cardinals. While fans never want to celebrate a current or former player's downfall, it feels a little rewarding to know you traded a player at the right time.

Former Cardinals Dustin May, JoJo Romero, and Lars Nootbaar have not produced positively for their new teams.

Dustin May and JoJo Romero were traded to the division rival Milwaukee Brewers at the deadline. Romero, who was on the Injured List prior to the deal due to appendicitis, has yet to make an appearance. The latest update for Romero is that he could begin a rehab assignment soon. This would set him on track to be a key piece for the Brewers bullpen in the playoffs.

Dustin May has been healthy for the Brewers since the trade. He hasn't, however, been as productive for them as he was for the Cardinals.

In May's three starts since the deadline, he has thrown 15 innings with a 6.00 ERA. His best outing came on August 12th against the San Diego Padres, a game in which he went seven innings, striking out six and allowing just one run. His most recent start on August 19th was much rougher, as he went only two innings and gave up seven earned runs. He's had one good, one bad, and one average start since the trade deadline.

Lars Nootbaar was shipped west to play with former teammate and close friend Nolan Arenado. He was a below-average hitter in the first half of the season with the Cardinals, but his underlying metrics and health made him an interesting trade candidate for a team in need of a left-handed outfielder.

He's played 15 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks since the deadline and he has a .162/.311/.270 slash line with just one home run and 3 RBIs in 12 games. He's walked more than he's struck out, but he has a 56.7% ground ball percentage. His 6.7% line drive rate is also dragging down his overall stats.

Fans never want to see former players, especially guys who contributed for years to the Cardinals, struggle. However, they can take some solace in knowing that their production is not missed. While it would be nice to have Dustin May to add depth to the rotation, his departure opened up time for Quinn Mathews and Hunter Dobbins, though Dobbins is now injured. Nootbaar's absence also gave regular opportunities for Joshua Baez to mash in the majors.

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