The Giants trading for Rafael Devers should firmly cement the Cardinals as sellers

The San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox shook the baseball world when they made one of the largest trades of the last 365 days a full six weeks before Major League Baseball's trade deadline.

The Giants acquired three-time All Star and two-time Silver Slugger Rafael Devers from the Red Sox for left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, and prospects James Tibbs III and Jose Bello. Devers and his contract that still has upwards of $250 million also goes west to San Francisco.

This is a trade that alters the baseball landscape in more ways than one, and the trickle-down effects will hit multiple teams.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, the effect is obvious. The teams ahead of them in the standings are now significantly better.

The San Francisco Giants trading for Rafael Devers should firmly cement the St. Louis Cardinals as sellers at the MLB trade deadline.

The San Francisco Giants currently occupy the second Wild Card spot with a 41-31 record. Behind them rest the San Diego Padres with a 39-31 record. The Milwaukee Brewers (39-34) and Cincinnati Reds (37-35) stand between the Cardinals and the Padres for the final Wild Card spot. Even before this trade, it was an uphill battle for the Cardinals, who are now 4-10 in the month of June after a series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend.

The Giants just got much better with this trade. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are likely going to make marginal moves over the next six weeks, if any moves at all.

The Padres are a better team on paper than the Cardinals. The Brewers just took it to the Cardinals over four days in Milwaukee. Clearly, there's a talent gap between the Cardinals and these other playoff contenders. We all knew this before the season even started, but the Devers trade and the impending trades will only increase that gap.

The "get in and win" moniker can be effective for many teams in the playoffs, but having bona fide talent doesn't hurt your cause either. The Cardinals simply lack high-end talent compared to the elite teams in the National League.

Yes, I know the Cardinals currently hold series leads against the Dodgers and Phillies, but they have losing records against the Mets and Brewers.

All of this proves that the Cardinals should be sellers at this year's deadline. They have some intriguing trade pieces in Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Steven Matz, and Erick Fedde. The club could also get creative and ask Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado if they would like to be traded or find a willing partner for a struggling youngster.

The trade deadline is always a seller's market; John Mozeliak took advantage of that market in 2023 when he traded away players on expiring contracts and got two solid prospects back in Thomas Saggese and Tekoah Roby. He could do the same thing this year and give Chaim Bloom a top-10 farm system as a parting gift.

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't at the same level as other playoff teams. They certainly fell further down the food chain after the San Francisco Giants traded for Rafael Devers. Contenders acquiring high-end talent won't stop here, and the gap between the Cardinals and these playoff teams will only widen. Therefore, the Cardinals should be sellers at this year's trade deadline.