Cardinal fans should temper trade deadline expectations

St. Louis Cardinals' President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has a type. No, I'm not speaking romantically. I'm instead speaking transactionally.

Historically speaking, Mo hasn't swung major trades at the summer trade deadline. In fact, the most major transaction he made at baseball's mid-summer deadline was back in 2009 when he acquired Matt Holliday from the Oakland Athletics. It's been 15 years since John Mozeliak traded for a true superstar at the trade deadline.

Making major deals at the deadline is a complicated task; with the All-Star Game and MLB Amateur Draft just two weeks before the July 30th cutoff date, front offices across baseball find it challenging to divide and conquer. Rather, teams prefer swinging major trades during the offseason where time is in their favor. John Mozeliak has been able to trade for other superstars such as Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt during baseball's winter break due to the ease of conversations.

Therefore, fans should not expect any major names to be traded for by the Cardinals this deadline. It isn't Mozeliak's modus operandi to make major deadline moves. Historically, the team's leader has filled holes on the roster with marginal moves and transactions on the edges. Think back to 2021 and 2022; Max Scherzer could have been had in 2021, and Juan Soto was available in 2022. Instead of acquiring these talented players, Mo instead opted to trade for Jon Lester, J.A. Happ, Jose Quintana, Jordan Montgomery, and Chris Stratton. These weren't exactly blockbuster moves.

Instead of swinging for players like Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert Jr., or even Tarik Skubal (if he's available), expect John Mozeliak to shop in the ancillary market for players. Rental pitchers will help the team make a playoff push, and right-handed role players will fill a weakness for the team down the stretch. The secondary tier of available trade candidates is the bucket where Mozeliak will do his shopping this year, as is his tendency.

This isn't to say the team won't be competitive at the deadline; rather John Mozeliak will preserve the team's top prospects while still improving the current roster. The team is in need of another high-leverage reliever, a reliable bench bat, and a middle-of-the-rotation starter; options are abundant for these needs.