The Cubs may have just raised the Cardinals' asking price for Dustin May

Remember when the St. Louis Cardinals front office would make a trade or a signing and fans would groan in unison? You can only fire so many blanks before becoming deceitful, and that’s exactly what happened to John Mozeliak and his former regime. 

Fortunately, from a first glance, it looks like the Chicago Cubs just did something equally as baffling. Although the Cardinals haven’t outplayed the Cubs as of late, at least they didn’t make a move like this. 

On June 24, the Chicago Cubs traded for longtime New York Mets starter David Peterson. 

Chicago has had a mess of a starting rotation in 2026, mostly stemming from a buildup of injuries. Cade Horton and Justin Steele have been shelved for a significant amount of time, and newcomer Edward Cabrera has not been the impact player fans were promised. 

Due to all the lack of certainty, the Cubs made a decision, and it looks like a hasty one at that. 

Chicago dealt its number 13 prospect, Cole Mathis, in the deal. 

Mathis, 22, is a first baseman who also spends time at DH. Although the Cubs already have a slew of talent for those roles, it seems they could’ve gotten a better return for someone of Mathis’ caliber. 

This season, the 6-foot-2 slugger has a .981 OPS between High-A and Single-A. In his mere 39 games of work, he’s already blasted 10 home runs and slashed 12 doubles—and the Cubs traded him for a pitcher with an ERA north of six. 

You might be asking yourself, "What does this have to do with the Cardinals?" Well, first, it’s fun to shame the Cubs—especially when they’re playing better. And second, let’s fast forward to July’s trade deadline. 

How does the Cubs’ most recent deal impact Dustin May’s trade value for the Cardinals?

Peterson, who has -1.0 WAR this season, netted a top 15 prospect from a solid system. In addition to his poor performance, he’s a free agent at year’s end. 

Cardinals’ Dustin May has not only been better, but has had a more esteemed prospect pedigree and possesses higher-quality stuff. 

This season, May has a 4.30 ERA through 15 starts, which was heavily inflated by his last escapade against the Royals. 

Underlying numbers are even higher on May, as he commands an xERA of 3.70, alongside well-above-average extension and walk rates. 

Last season, the Cubs shipped off Christian Franklin and Ronny Cruz to the Nationals for Michael Soroka, who had an ERA north of five in the first half. Cruz is now the Nats’ number four prospect and Franklin is on the cusp of a promotion, also within the team’s top 30 (via MLB Pipeline). 

Maybe it’s a Cubs thing, but more likely, it’s a starting pitching thing. 

Starters are more valuable than ever with the continued rise of pitching injuries. In the "velocity era," it’s hard to find a five-man rotation that can withstand the grueling march through a 162-game season. 

There will be a market for May come July, and judging by what’s been observed in the past and in the Cubs most recent deal, St. Louis could bring back a haul. 

If rival executives are willing to fork over highly touted, controllable young talent for a rental in May, it would be ludicrous for Bloom not to find a viable suitor. 

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