Three trade deadline deals that together make the Cardinals a postseason threat

How the team would look after these trade deadline moves

All in all, here is what the Cardinals' deadline movement would look like:

Acquiring: RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Dylan Floro, OF Randal Grichuk

Trading away: RHP Tekoah Roby, OF Dylan Carlson, 1B Luken Baker, LHP Pete Hansen

All of those moves would result in a roster looking something like:

SS Masyn Winn
RF Lars Nootbaar
C Willson Contreras
DH Alec Burleson
LF Brendan Donovan
3B Nolan Arenado
2B Nolan Gorman
1B Paul Goldschmidt
CF Michael Siani/Tommy Edman

Bench: C Pedro Pages OR Ivan Herrera, OF Randal Grichuk, INF Brandon Crawford, INF Matt Carpenter

Rotation:
RHP Sonny Gray
RHP Max Scherzer
RHP Kyle Gibson
RHP Miles Mikloas
RHP Lance Lynn OR Andre Pallante

Bullpen:
RHP Ryan Helsley
LHP JoJo Romero
RHP Andrew Kittredge
RHP Ryan Fernandez
RHP Dylan Floro
LHP Matthew Liberatore
LHP John King
RHP Giovanny Gallegos or RHP Chris Roycroft

Honestly, I really like this team. They would still be class below the Phillies and Dodgers, but I think it makes them as good as anyone else in the National League and gives them a puncher's chance of doing something special in October. The lineup would be dangerous against right-handed pitching and at least competent against lefties, their rotation would be headlined by two arms who know how to win in the biggest of games, and their bullpen goes eight deep and can shut down opposing lineups as early as Oli Marmol needs to call upon them.

I do not support the idea of going out and making really risky moves involving your top assets, but the Cardinals doing something like this, taking one major swing with Scherzer and paying less due to the risks associated with him as well as a quality piece to their bullpen and lineup, feels like the appropriate level of aggression for this Cardinals' team.