3 nightmare scenarios for Cardinals at this year's MLB Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals are at a crossroads at this year's trade deadline. We know they are buyers - but does the club seize the opportunity that appears to be there in a weakened National League? Or do they make incremental improvements, playing it safe and hoping for the best?

Both scenarios have their pros and cons, and we've talked about that plenty, but I did want to take a look at those "nightmare" scenarios that would make us look back on this deadline with disdain. I highly doubt there will be universal praise for what the Cardinals do this year, but if any of these three things happen, I think it's likely the Cardinals hear criticism all around.

Nightmare #1 - More "fringe" teams decide to buy or stand pat rather than sell

Whether we like it or not, John Mozeliak's comments this past Sunday are true - the trade market and what is available to the Cardinals will be significantly impacted by who decides to sell and who tries to stay in the race.

The nightmare scenario for St. Louis would be that teams like the Rangers, Rays, Tigers, Giants, Nationals, and Blue Jays either do not sell or are unwilling to move most of their pieces. This would further shrink the amount of players that are available on the trade market, making it even more difficult for the Cardinals to address their needs.

Hear me when I say more difficult, not impossible. It would not necessarily be a valid excuse for St. Louis not to be aggressive, but it sure would drive up the price it would take for them to pull off the moves we want them to. This is even the case with teams we know will sell like the White Sox, Marlins, and Athletics. If names like Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brent Rooker, and Mason Miller are not moved, then other players that are available become even more valuable.

The Cardinals need more teams to sell. If not, I'm afraid they will likely be conservative at best.

Nightmare #3 - The Cardinals sell low on Jordan Walker

Jordan Walker should not be untouchable.

But the Cardinals also should not move him for anything less than a blockbuster return. And even then, they better be sure they are making the right call.

Walker has lost a lot of his shine as an asset, but I still believe in the talent he has and the potential to be a game-changer for this club. But at the same time, if they are able to bring in the combo of Mason Miller and Brent Rooker, swing big for an ace like Tarik Skubal, or some unforeseen blockbuster move, then he has to be in play.

Things could not have gone worse for Walker so far in 2024, and it has been wildly disappointing, to say the least. Just a year after being one of the youngest players in all of Major League Baseball and producing at a high level, Walker looks lost in Memphis, and I doubt we see him back in St. Louis until 2025.

Even so, Walker is still just 22 years old, younger than most players he is facing at the Triple-A level, and still has all of the tools to become a major threat for a long time. His struggles cannot be ignored, but it is also probably an overreaction to sell all of your Walker stock. Just look at guys like Corbin Carroll and Julio Rodriguez who are struggling right now as well. Player development is not as linear as we would like it to be.

Thankfully, I don't foresee a deal being on the table for St. Louis that they would actually consider selling low on Walker. There is no way they trade Walker for a low-ceiling starter or rental player, so I feel pretty confident they won't be making this mistake.

Still, it's a nightmare scenario that is at least in the realm of possibilities.