The Armchair GM - Trade Deadline Update

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
The Armchair GM: Trade Deadline Update
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

By 5 p.m. Central today, we should have a much clearer picture of what Chaim Bloom’s rebuilding plan means for the St. Louis Cardinals.

At this point, the question is probably no longer whether the Cardinals will sell. The question is how deep they are willing to go.

Dustin May remains the most obvious trade candidate. He was signed to provide innings, rebuild his value and potentially become a deadline asset. With several prominent starting pitchers already off the board, teams still searching for rotation help may be forced to take a harder look at May.

Ryne Stanek is another strong candidate to move, while JoJo Romero could still draw interest despite being on the injured list following an appendectomy. It was not an arm injury, and quality left-handed relief pitching is always in demand this time of year.

Lars Nootbaar represents a more significant decision. He is healthy, capable of playing all three outfield positions and remains under team control beyond this season. The Cardinals also have Joshua Báez knocking on the major-league door. Still, Nootbaar should not be traded simply to create a roster opening. The return must justify moving him.

The catching logjam also needs to be addressed. Iván Herrera remains the biggest name, but finding a team that values him as both a catcher and a middle-of-the-order bat has apparently been difficult. That could make Jimmy Crooks or Pedro Pagés the more realistic trade option while potentially opening the door for Leo Bernal.

Then there are Riley O’Brien and Alec Burleson.

Both have value. Both are under team control. Neither should be moved unless another club is willing to overpay. In O’Brien’s case, if he is valuable enough to bring back a significant haul, he may also be valuable enough to help the Cardinals win when they are ready to contend.

Nolan Gorman could also become a change-of-scenery candidate if another organization believes it can unlock his power and accept the strikeouts.

Bloom’s job today is not to “win the deadline” by making the most trades. It is to turn short-term assets and roster surplus into legitimate future major-league talent without giving away controllable players for pennies on the dollar.

The Cardinals do not need activity for activity’s sake.

They need good trades.

By tonight, we will know whether this was merely a roster cleanup—or the day Bloom put his full stamp on the future of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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Photo Credit: Chaim Bloom, St. Louis Cardinals: MLB