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THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Balls Flying out of the Parks on Sunday&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSunday’s farm report belonged to Springfield and Peoria.Springfield hammered four home runs in a 9-2 win over Wichita, with Tre Richardson III, Rainiel Rodriguez, Won-Bin Cho and Jesús Báez all going deep. Peoria kept rolling with a 3-2 win over Cedar Rapids, extending its winning streak to six games.Memphis had a rough day in Jacksonville, and Palm Beach had one of those games you file away and never speak of again.The full-season affiliates finished 2-2.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 60-48 Second Half: 13-20, 9th in the International League West, 8.0 GB Streak: L1Jacksonville 10, Memphis 1This one got away from Memphis early.Jacksonville scored one in the first, four in the second, two in the fourth and three more in the fifth, building a 10-0 lead before the Redbirds finally got on the board in the sixth.Memphis managed only three hits on the night.Joshua Báez doubled for his 21st two-bagger of the season. Leo Bernal singled, walked and drove in the Redbirds’ lone run, giving him 65 RBIs on the year. Chase Davis added the other Memphis hit.On the mound, it was a tough day from the start. Mason Molina allowed five runs on six hits and two walks over 1.2 innings. Jared Shuster followed with 2.1 innings, allowing two runs, and Brycen Mautz was charged with three runs in two-thirds of an inning.Takeaway: Memphis never found footing. The offense was quiet, and the pitching staff could not slow Jacksonville early.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 53-48 Second Half: 22-11, 1st in the Texas League North Streak: W2Springfield 9, Wichita 2Springfield bounced all over Wichita with a four-homer night and another strong team pitching performance.The Cardinals scored one in the first, two in the third, two in the fourth, one in the sixth and three more in the seventh. The offense was loud, balanced and powered by some of the biggest names in the lineup.Tre Richardson III earned Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, two RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.His final line: 2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, SBRainiel Rodriguez also had a big night, going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. The homer was his 12th of the season.Jesús Báez reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks, three runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base. His homer was his 14th. Won-Bin Cho added his 11th homer, walked twice, drove in two and scored twice.That is a lot of damage from the top half of the Springfield order.On the mound, Braden Davis earned Pitcher of the Day honors despite not working deep into the game. Davis struck out seven over 3.2 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs and two walks. Both runs came on solo home runs, but the swing-and-miss was there.The bullpen was excellent. Tyler Bradt, Hunter Hayes, José Davila, D.J. Carpenter and Michael Watson combined for 5.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit.Takeaway: Springfield’s offense flexed, the bullpen slammed the door, and the Cardinals stretched their lead in the Texas League North.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 51-50 Second Half: 19-16, 3rd in the Midwest League West, 3.5 GB Streak: W6Peoria 3, Cedar Rapids 2Peoria did not have much offense Sunday, but the Chiefs had just enough.Despite being outhit 11-3, Peoria beat Cedar Rapids 3-2 and extended its winning streak to six games.The Chiefs scored all three runs in the fourth inning. Anyelo Encarnación, Chase Heath and Cameron Nickens each drove in a run. Tai Peete stayed hot with one of Peoria’s three hits and drew a walk, raising his average to .300 with a .981 OPS.This was a pitching-and-survive kind of win.Nate Dohm started and allowed one run over three innings, striking out three. Patrick Galle followed with two scoreless innings, Trey Pooser added two more scoreless frames, and the Chiefs held on late after Cedar Rapids scored once in the eighth.Rubén Menes handled the ninth, allowing two hits but keeping the tying run off the board.Takeaway: It was not pretty, but it counts. Peoria won with only three hits and kept its second-half push alive with a sixth straight victory.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 52-49 Second Half: 19-16, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 3.5 GB Streak: L2Fort Myers 20, Palm Beach 3Palm Beach had a rough one.The Cardinals scored three runs in the second inning, but Fort Myers answered with 10 in the bottom half and never looked back in a 20-3 loss.Palm Beach committed five errors, and the pitching staff allowed 18 hits and nine walks. That combination will ruin a Sunday in a hurry.The offensive highlight came from Trevor Haskins, who hit his 10th home run of the season and drove in all three Palm Beach runs. Brayden Smith, Miguel Hernández and Jonathan Mejía added the other hits.On the mound, Keiverson Ramírez allowed seven runs, six earned, over 1.2 innings. Nathan Shinn gave up five runs, though all were unearned, and Justin Militello was charged with five runs in two-thirds of an inning.Antoni Cuello did provide a clean finish, striking out three in a scoreless eighth.Takeaway: Not much to dress up here. Haskins homered, but Palm Beach was buried by walks, errors and one very long second inning.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Tre Richardson III, LF, Springfield CardinalsRichardson earns the honor after helping power Springfield’s 9-2 win over Wichita.His final line: 2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, SBThat is a complete offensive night. Power, extra bases, run production, a walk and a stolen base.Springfield had several strong candidates, but Richardson did a little bit of everything.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Braden Davis, LHP, Springfield CardinalsDavis gets the nod after striking out seven over 3.2 innings for Springfield.His final line: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 KThe two solo homers kept the line from being spotless, but the strikeout stuff was loud. Davis missed bats, kept Springfield in front, and the bullpen finished the job from there.The Final Word Sunday was another good day for Springfield and Peoria.Springfield remains in first place and continues to show real thump in the middle of the lineup. Rainiel Rodriguez, Jesús Báez, Won-Bin Cho and Tre Richardson III all homered, and the bullpen did not allow a hit over the final 5.1 innings.Peoria has quietly turned into one of the hotter teams in the system. Six straight wins, a winning second-half record, and suddenly the Chiefs are back in the race.Memphis and Palm Beach had days to forget.But Springfield and Peoria carried the report.Four home runs in Springfield. Six straight wins for Peoria. And a pretty big Sunday from Tre Richardson III. Photo Credit: Jesús Báez, Springfield Cardinals | MiLB

Farm Report: Balls Flying out of the Parks on Sunday

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Mathews Debuts, Cardinals Fall in Toronto St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurQuinn Mathews finally got the call.The St. Louis Cardinals finally got a look at one of the more anticipated arms in their system.And for five innings Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre, Mathews gave the Cardinals a chance.The problem was everything around him.The Cardinals collected hits, put runners on base, and had several chances to turn Mathews’ major league debut into a much better story. Instead, St. Louis managed just one run and fell to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-1, dropping the first two games of the weekend series.This was not a case of the Cardinals being completely shut down.That would have been easier to explain.They had traffic. They had opportunities. They had enough baserunners to make Kevin Gausman uncomfortable. They just did not turn enough of those chances into runs.That has been the theme too often lately.The Cardinals had 11 hits and scored once.That is a hard way to win a baseball game.Mathews opened his major league career with a scoreless first inning, working around a one-out fielder’s choice and striking out Kazuma Okamoto for the first strikeout of his big-league career. It was not perfect, but it was controlled. He attacked the zone, showed some poise, and gave the Cardinals something to build from early.The Blue Jays pushed him in the second, but Mathews escaped again. Alejandro Kirk walked to start the inning, but Daulton Varsho struck out, Ernie Clement fouled out, and Myles Straw flied out to center.Two innings in, no runs allowed.That was a good start.The Cardinals, meanwhile, were getting to Gausman but not finishing innings.Alec Burleson singled in the first. Nathan Church singled in the second. Jimmy Crooks, Jordan Walker and Burleson all reached in the third, but the Cardinals came away empty each time.The third inning was especially frustrating. Crooks opened with a single to right, but JJ Wetherholt grounded into a double play. Walker followed with a single, Burleson added another hit, and Iván Herrera grounded out to end the threat.That was the kind of inning that told the story of the day.Plenty of movement.No damage.Toronto finally broke through in the bottom of the third. Davis Schneider drew a leadoff walk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled with one out, and after Okamoto flied out, George Springer lined a single to left-center field. Schneider scored, Guerrero moved to third, and Springer took second on the play.The Blue Jays led 1-0.Mathews then walked Kirk to load the bases, but he got Varsho to foul out to Jimmy Crooks behind the plate to limit the damage.That mattered.A young pitcher making his debut could have let the inning get away. Mathews did not. He bent, but he did not break.Toronto added another run in the fourth. Clement singled to center, Straw doubled to deep right, and Urías lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Clement. The Blue Jays had a 2-0 lead, but again, Mathews limited the inning to one run.That was the best part of his debut.It was not clean. It was not dominant. It was not the kind of outing that will make anyone pretend he is a finished product.But he competed.Mathews worked five innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He walked three, struck out three, threw 97 pitches, and left the game with the Cardinals still very much alive.For a major league debut on the road, against a lineup with real power and experience, that is a respectable first step.Now the Cardinals needed to hit.They finally did in the sixth.Herrera led off with a double to left-center field. Lars Nootbaar grounded out to the catcher, moving Herrera to third, and Masyn Winn followed with a double to deep right-center. Herrera scored, and the Cardinals cut the deficit to 2-1.That should have been the inning where St. Louis put real pressure on Toronto.Instead, it stopped there.Church grounded out, moving Winn to third, and Braydon Fisher came in to relieve Gausman. Blaze Jordan worked the count but grounded out to third to end the inning.The Cardinals had pulled within one, but they had also left another runner sitting 90 feet away.That mattered.Luis Gastelum took over for Mathews in the sixth and worked around a bunt single by Varsho, keeping the game at 2-1. The Cardinals then had another chance in the seventh after Walker singled and Burleson walked, but Herrera grounded out to shortstop.Again, runners on.Again, no finish.Toronto finally created separation in the bottom of the seventh.Andrés Giménez was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Guerrero followed with an infield single. Okamoto popped out, but Springer came through again, driving a double to deep right field. Giménez scored, Guerrero moved to third, and Toronto led 3-1.That brought Peter Strzelecki into the game, and Kirk greeted him with the swing that broke it open. Kirk singled to deep right, scoring Springer and Guerrero to push the Blue Jays’ lead to 5-1.In a game where the Cardinals were struggling to cash in, that four-run gap felt much larger.St. Louis had spent the afternoon missing chances.Toronto did not.That was the difference.Walker and Burleson both had multi-hit days. Herrera doubled and scored the only Cardinals run. Winn drove him in with his 14th double of the season. Church, Jordan and Crooks all added hits.There were good at-bats scattered across the lineup.But scattered is the key word.The Cardinals did not string enough of them together. They did not create the one big inning they needed. They did not take advantage of Gausman allowing nine hits before leaving in the sixth.Gausman gave Toronto 5.2 innings, allowing one run, and the Blue Jays’ bullpen handled the rest. Fisher, Mason Fluharty and the late-inning arms kept St. Louis from getting the game back within reach.For the Cardinals, this loss felt familiar.Friday night, they dropped the opener, 3-1, in a game where Kyle Leahy pitched well and the offense could not do enough. Saturday, Mathews made his debut and kept the Cardinals close, but once again, the lineup could not turn traffic into runs.That is not a winning formula.The Cardinals are now in a stretch where every loss carries more weight. The trade deadline is closing in. The standings are tightening. The front office has to decide what this club is and what it should be over the final two months.Games like this make the argument harder.Not because Mathews failed.He did not.If anything, Mathews gave the Cardinals something worth watching. He showed poise, handled traffic, worked through early nerves, and left with his club trailing only 2-1.That should have been enough to keep the game in reach.The offense just did not do its part.The Cardinals had hits.They did not have enough runs.Toronto took advantage when its chances arrived. St. Louis did not.And that was the ballgame.The Bottom Line Quinn Mathews gave the Cardinals a chance in his major league debut.The offense, the same old story, did not give him enough help.St. Louis had 11 hits but scored only once, wasting too many opportunities in a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.Mathews’ debut was worth watching.The rest of the afternoon was more of the same.Cardinals lose, 5-1. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Quinn Mathews, St. Louis Louis Cardinals &nbsp;| MLB

Mathews Debuts, Cardinals Fall in Toronto

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Game Day Preview: Liberatore Takes the Ball as Cardinals Try to Avoid Sweep St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals will try to avoid a three-game sweep this afternoon when they face the Toronto Blue Jays in the series finale at Rogers Centre.First pitch is scheduled for 12:37 p.m. CT.Left-hander Matthew Liberatore will start for St. Louis against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer. The game will be televised on Cardinals.TV and Sportsnet and carried on KMOX and the Cardinals Radio Network.St. Louis Cardinals: LHP Matthew Liberatore, 5-8, 5.26 ERA, 100 strikeouts Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Max Scherzer, 1-4, 9.49 ERA, 18 strikeoutsThe Cardinals enter Sunday at 54-57 after dropping the first two games of the series by scores of 3-1 and 5-1.Toronto has already secured the series victory and has won three consecutive games. St. Louis has lost three straight and 12 of 16 since the All-Star break.That is no longer a difficult stretch.It is a collapse.The Cardinals entered the second half within reach of a postseason position. They now sit four games behind Philadelphia for the final National League Wild Card, with San Diego, Miami, Pittsburgh and Washington also ahead of them.The trade deadline arrives Monday at 5 p.m. CT.Whatever argument the Cardinals intended to make for keeping this roster together has grown weaker with nearly every game.Saturday should have been a day centered on Quinn Mathews making his Major League debut.The young left-hander did his part.Mathews allowed two runs on six hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out three while throwing 97 pitches, 63 for strikes.It was not dominant, but it was competitive.Mathews worked through traffic, limited the damage and gave the Cardinals an opportunity to win. He showed some of the same qualities that carried him through the Minor Leagues: composure, intelligence and the willingness to challenge hitters when an inning began to become uncomfortable.For a pitcher making his first Major League appearance in an unfamiliar ballpark, there was plenty to build upon.Unfortunately, the offense once again turned a respectable starting performance into another defeat.The Cardinals collected 11 hits against Kevin Gausman and the Toronto bullpen.They scored one run.St. Louis went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners. Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Blaze Jordan each collected two hits, but the Cardinals repeatedly failed to finish innings.Eleven hits should produce more than one run.That is not bad luck.That is poor situational hitting.The Cardinals reached base often enough to apply pressure. They simply could not produce the swing, sacrifice fly, ground ball or two-out hit needed to turn those opportunities into runs.Gausman allowed nine hits in 5⅔ innings, but St. Louis managed only one run against him.He did not overpower the lineup.He survived it.There is a difference.The Cardinals have repeatedly treated reaching base as though the job were complete. It is not. A baserunner is only an opportunity. Someone still has to drive him home.Toronto did exactly that.The Blue Jays scored two runs against Mathews and added three more after he left the game. Alejandro Kirk delivered a two-run single in the seventh, turning a manageable deficit into a 5-1 game.Toronto finished with fewer hits than St. Louis but four more runs.That tells the story.The Blue Jays executed when opportunities appeared.The Cardinals did not.Now Liberatore must try to keep the season from slipping another game further away.His previous start came Monday against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.Liberatore allowed three runs on eight hits over 3⅔ innings. He surrendered runs in each of the first three innings and forced the Cardinals to turn to their bullpen before completing the fourth.The Cubs eventually won 7-3.That outing continued a frustrating season for Liberatore.The talent remains obvious.His curveball can be a legitimate swing-and-miss pitch. His fastball has enough velocity to challenge hitters, and his slider provides another weapon when he commands it properly.The problem is that those pitches have rarely worked together for an entire start.Liberatore will show two or three innings that suggest he is ready to turn the corner. Then one poor sequence, one walk or one elevated fastball changes the game.The Cardinals have spent several years trying to determine exactly what they have in him.Starter?Reliever?Piggyback option?Bulk pitcher?Temporary rotation solution?The constant movement between roles has not helped, but Liberatore must also take responsibility for making the decision easier.At some point, potential has to become performance.He has reached 100 strikeouts this season, demonstrating that he can miss Major League bats. But his 5.26 ERA reflects the damage that occurs when his command disappears or hitters force him into the middle of the strike zone.Toronto presents a difficult matchup because its lineup leans heavily right-handed.Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kazuma Okamoto, George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Ernie Clement, Luis Urías and Davis Schneider can all challenge a left-handed starter.Liberatore must establish his fastball on both sides of the plate and avoid becoming overly dependent on his breaking ball.If Toronto’s hitters can eliminate the fastball early in the count, they will wait for breaking pitches that remain over the plate.The changeup may be especially important.Liberatore needs something moving away from right-handed hitters to keep them from leaning over the plate and looking for pitches they can pull.More than anything, he needs strike one.Walks and deep counts have created too many difficult innings. Toronto has already shown that it will take advantage when the Cardinals provide additional baserunners.Liberatore cannot spend the afternoon nibbling.Attack the strike zone.Trust the defense.Make the Blue Jays earn their way aboard.The Cardinals could also use some length.Mathews completed five innings Saturday, requiring four innings from the bullpen. Friday, Kyle Leahy worked six, but the relief corps still surrendered the deciding runs late.A six- or seven-inning performance from Liberatore would give the Cardinals their best chance to avoid the sweep while keeping the bullpen from becoming overextended before Monday’s opener against the Yankees.The matchup against Scherzer presents an opportunity.His name still carries enormous weight.The 42-year-old right-hander is one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. He has won three Cy Young Awards, two World Series championships and more than 200 Major League games while recording over 3,400 strikeouts.That history deserves respect.It does not mean the Cardinals should treat the current version of Scherzer like the pitcher who dominated the National League a decade ago.Scherzer enters with a 9.49 ERA.He recently returned from the injured list after dealing with another physical setback and is still rebuilding his workload. In his return Monday at Washington, he allowed one run on four hits over 2⅔ innings.He struck out four, but he also walked three and required 75 pitches to record eight outs.Scherzer remains capable of missing bats, especially when he gets ahead and can use his slider. His competitiveness has not disappeared, and neither has his understanding of how to attack a hitter.But the Cardinals should make him prove he can command the strike zone and work efficiently.There is no reason to help him.St. Louis must avoid chasing the slider away from right-handed hitters and below the zone against left-handers. Scherzer will try to use the Cardinals’ aggressiveness against them.The best way to challenge him is to force him into the strike zone.That does not mean every hitter should automatically take the first pitch.Scherzer may attack early with fastballs to avoid the long counts that drove up his pitch total against Washington. If he throws a hittable fastball over the plate, the Cardinals should be prepared to swing.Patience and passivity are not the same thing.The Cardinals have too often watched hittable pitches early and then expanded the zone with two strikes.They need a more decisive plan today.Force Scherzer to work, but punish mistakes.The middle of the Cardinals lineup should be capable of doing that.Walker and Burleson each had two hits Saturday. They continue to provide the most dependable production in the lineup, but neither can drive in runners who do not reach base ahead of them.JJ Wetherholt must create traffic at the top.Iván Herrera needs to return to the approach that made him an All-Star.Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, Nathan Church and the bottom third of the order must help turn the lineup over.Blaze Jordan continues to look comfortable against Major League pitching. His two hits Saturday gave the Cardinals another right-handed hitter capable of handling Scherzer’s fastball.But individual performances mean very little when the lineup fails collectively.The Cardinals had five players collect at least one hit Saturday.They had three players collect two.They still scored once.That cannot happen again.The offense must become more aggressive with runners in scoring position without becoming reckless. Shorten the swing. Use the middle of the field. Take the run when a ground ball or sacrifice fly is available.Not every scoring opportunity requires a home run.Sometimes winning baseball means accepting an RBI groundout rather than trying to hit a three-run homer with one man on base.The Cardinals have lost too many games waiting for one large swing to solve everything.Today’s game also carries a strange deadline atmosphere.Scherzer is a pending free agent pitching for a Toronto team that remains below .500. He could be making his final start for the Blue Jays.Kevin Gausman received a standing ovation Saturday because the Toronto crowd understood he could also be moved before Monday evening.The Cardinals face similar questions.Dustin May remains one of the most obvious trade candidates after throwing five scoreless innings against the Cubs in what may have been his final start for St. Louis.Nootbaar has drawn interest.Several relievers could appeal to clubs looking for bullpen help.By the time the Cardinals take the field Monday night in New York, this roster may have changed.That does not excuse another poor performance today.Players do not need front-office certainty to play sound baseball.The Cardinals still have a game to win.Liberatore still has something to prove.Walker, Wetherholt, Herrera, Burleson and the younger players still have an opportunity to demonstrate that the club’s future should include winning rather than merely evaluating.The Cardinals cannot control which trade discussions are taking place behind closed doors.They can control whether they execute with runners in scoring position.They can control whether they throw strikes, catch the baseball and use the best available reliever when the game reaches its most important moment.Those details have been missing too often.The Cardinals are 54-57 because they have played like a 54-57 team.They have received several good starting performances and wasted them.They have built leads and surrendered them.They have reached base and failed to score.They have remained close enough to the Wild Card to continue discussing October without playing well enough to deserve it.Sunday offers one more chance to stop the slide before the deadline.Avoid the sweep.Give Liberatore some support.Turn 11 hits into more than one run.Leave Toronto with something better than another explanation.The Cardinals are running out of games in which “almost” counts for anything. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images&nbsp;

Liberatore Takes the Ball as Cardinals Try to Avoid Sweep

The Cardinal Chronicle Trade Deadline Morning Report: May, Herrera, Nootbaar, Crooks, &amp; Stanek St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals’ deadline picture is getting clearer by the hour, and the starting pitching market has finally started to move.That matters for St. Louis.It matters because Dustin May still looks like the cleanest and most likely Cardinals trade chip before Monday’s deadline. It matters because the teams needing rotation help are running out of impact options. And it matters because once the first major starter came off the board, the rest of the pitching market was always going to start tightening quickly.Now it has.Tarik Skubal is reportedly headed to the Dodgers, which removes the biggest name from the board. That is the kind of move that changes the entire deadline room. One club gets its ace. The other clubs that were dreaming big have to pivot. The price for high-end pitching gets reset. The urgency for everyone else goes up.That is where May becomes more interesting.Freddy Peralta being scratched from his scheduled start only adds to it. The Mets did not pull him because someone casually asked about him. They pulled him because talks reached a level where sending him to the mound no longer made sense.That is usually when the market is no longer just talking.It is moving.For the Cardinals, this is the window Chaim Bloom has been waiting on.May is not Skubal. He is not Peralta at his best. He is not a frontline ace who should bring back a franchise-shaking return.But he is a legitimate major league starter, he has swing-and-miss stuff, he has postseason-caliber upside when right, and he is available in a market where the number of buyers is greater than the number of arms.That is how deadline value gets created.May’s final appearance as a Cardinal may have been the perfect showcase. Five scoreless innings against the Cubs. One hit. Two walks. Three strikeouts. No damage.It was not a complete-game masterpiece, but it did exactly what the Cardinals needed it to do. It reminded contenders that the stuff still plays, the arm still has real upside, and the right-hander could help stabilize the middle or back end of a postseason rotation.He is also not scheduled to pitch again before the deadline.That matters.There is no more injury risk from another outing. No chance for one bad start to knock down the return. No awkward debate about whether to push him back or scratch him. The showcase is over. Now it is about whether the Cardinals can turn that outing into the right package.The Rays remain one of the more interesting teams to watch.Shane McClanahan landing on the injured list only increases Tampa Bay’s need to explore pitching. The Rays were already connected to the starter market, and with Skubal now off the board, the pressure shifts toward the next tier.If Tampa Bay misses on Peralta, May makes sense.That does not mean a deal is likely. The Rays are not an easy team to trade with, and they are not going to panic just because the market is moving. But Bloom’s history in Tampa Bay gives the Cardinals an interesting angle. He knows the system. He knows how the Rays think. He knows which prospects matter, which ones may be blocked, and which ones could fit the Cardinals’ next window.That does not guarantee a deal.But it does make the Rays a serious club to monitor.The Phillies, Braves, Cubs, Brewers, Diamondbacks and others have also been tied to the starting pitching market in some form. Not every team will land Peralta. Not every team can afford a bigger name. That is where May could become the pivot arm.The first domino has already fallen.The next one may decide May’s market.If Peralta moves quickly, the teams that missed will have a choice. They can keep chasing the next best starter, or they can wait and risk getting boxed out entirely. That is the pressure point the Cardinals need to use.Do not give May away.Do not get greedy to the point of missing the market.But do not treat him like a throwaway rental either.The Cardinals signed May knowing this was a possible outcome. He gave them innings. He gave them several strong starts. He gave them trade value. Now the job is to turn that short-term signing into future pitching, upper-level talent or a real prospect piece that helps the organization beyond 2026.That is the easy part of this deadline.May should be moved.The harder questions involve Iván Herrera, Lars Nootbaar and Alec Burleson.Herrera remains the most complicated name on the board.Catching is scarce. Catching with offensive value is even harder to find. Herrera is controlled, productive, and capable of helping a contender in multiple ways. He can catch some. He can DH. He can get on base. He gives a team more than a short-term rental.That is exactly why the Cardinals should not force it.There is a difference between listening and shopping. The Cardinals should absolutely listen on Herrera. The Yankees and Red Sox make sense. The Rays make sense. Other teams needing offense behind the plate or at DH should at least check in.But Herrera should not be moved for a “nice” package.He should only be moved if the return is uncomfortable for the other team.A top pitching prospect. A near-ready arm. A premium position-player prospect. Something that clearly answers a future need.Otherwise, keep the bat.The Cardinals do have catching depth. Pedro Pagés is already in St. Louis. Jimmy Crooks is in the picture. Leo Bernal and Rainiel Rodríguez give the system more long-term options. That depth allows Bloom to listen, but it does not require him to sell Herrera just because another club needs catching.If the catching market gets hot, the more likely move may still be someone like Crooks or Pagés.Trading Crooks would be a way to cash in on the depth without moving the best offensive catcher in the organization. Trading Pagés would be more of a major league depth move for a team that values defense and game-calling. Trading Herrera is a bigger bet altogether.That is why Herrera belongs in the “make me do it” category.Nootbaar is different.He is not a rental, but he is also not under long-term control forever. That puts him in the middle of the Cardinals’ decision tree.Houston has been linked to Nootbaar as the Astros look for outfield help, and that fit makes sense. He gives a contender a left-handed bat, on-base ability, corner outfield defense and control beyond this season. The Yankees have also been connected to the outfield market, and with injuries creating urgency, Nootbaar’s profile should draw attention there, too.This is where the Cardinals need to be careful.Nootbaar has value because he is more than a two-month piece. That means the return has to reflect that. A contender is not just renting him for August and September. It is also getting him for next season.That should raise the ask.At the same time, the Cardinals have to ask themselves what the outfield looks like if they keep him. Jordan Walker is part of the core. Joshua Báez is knocking on the door. Nathan Church and Victor Scott II are still part of the broader picture. There are only so many at-bats to go around.If another club wants to overpay for Nootbaar, Bloom should listen closely.If the offer is ordinary, keep him.There is nothing wrong with having a useful outfielder under control for another year.Then there is Burleson.Alec Burleson may be the quietest of the four names, but he might be one of the more interesting deadline tests for Bloom.Burleson can hit. He gives a club a left-handed bat, first base/DH value and enough offensive track record to draw calls. Teams looking for lineup balance should be interested. He is the kind of player who may not dominate deadline headlines but could fit several rosters.The question is whether the Cardinals view him as part of the next good team.That is not as easy as it sounds.Burleson has real value, but his profile is bat-driven. If the bat is not producing damage, the defensive flexibility is limited. If the bat is producing, he can help a lineup. That makes him useful but also a player the Cardinals should be willing to discuss if another club values him highly.This is where the front office has to be honest.Not every good player is a core player.Not every controllable player is untouchable.Burleson should not be dumped. He should not be moved just to clear a roster spot. But if a team views him as a legitimate middle-of-the-order left-handed bat and is willing to pay accordingly, the Cardinals should explore it.That is the difference between selling and panic-selling.The Cardinals should be selling.They should not be panicking.The priority list should be simple.Move Dustin May if the market produces a fair return.Move Ryne Stanek if a contender wants bullpen help.Listen on Nootbaar if the return reflects the extra year of control.Listen on Burleson if the offer treats him like a real bat, not a spare part.Do not force Herrera unless the return is too strong to ignore.Protect the top of the system.This is not the time to pretend the Cardinals are one deadline rental away from fixing everything. They are not. The second-half slide showed the roster still has too many holes, especially on the pitching side. The responsible play is to turn short-term pieces and selected surplus into future value.But it also should not be a reckless teardown.There is a young foundation here. Walker, Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Herrera, Burleson, the catching pipeline, and the next wave of pitching prospects all matter in some form. The Cardinals should be reshaping the roster, not strip-mining it.That is the line Bloom has to walk.The Skubal trade makes that line even more important.With the Dodgers landing the biggest arm on the board, the rest of the market gets squeezed. Peralta may be next. Once he moves, clubs that still need starting pitching will have fewer choices and less time.That is good news for the Cardinals.It puts Dustin May closer to the center of the pitching market than he was 24 hours ago.The Cardinals do not have the ace. They do not have the biggest deadline chip. But they may have the type of starter teams turn to once the bigger names are gone.That can still bring value.And value is the entire point of this deadline.For St. Louis, today’s report comes down to this:May is the most likely to go.Nootbaar is very much worth monitoring.Herrera should require a massive return.Burleson is a listen-only candidate unless someone gets aggressive.The deadline is no longer approaching in theory. It is here. The market has started moving. The first domino has fallen.Now the Cardinals need to make sure their pieces do not fall cheaply. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.com

Trade Deadline Morning Report: May, Herrera, Nootbaar, & Burleson

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin Deals as Peoria Rolls St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurTanner Franklin gave Peoria exactly what it needed in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.Franklin is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working 5.1 strong innings in the Chiefs’ 13-2 win over Cedar Rapids, helping Peoria finish off a doubleheader sweep and extend its winning streak to five games.His final line:5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 KThat is a winning start.Franklin allowed five hits, but he did not walk a batter, and that is where the outing really stands out. He filled the strike zone, missed bats, and did not give Cedar Rapids free traffic. In a game where Peoria’s offense exploded, Franklin made sure the Kernels never had a real path back into it.The Chiefs gave him support early and kept adding on. Peoria scored one in the first, three in the third, two in the fifth, two more in the sixth and five in the seventh. That was more than enough with Franklin controlling the game from the mound.Tai Peete gave Peoria the offensive headline by hitting for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with a home run, triple, double, four RBIs, four runs scored, a walk and two stolen bases. Sammy Hernandez added three hits and three RBIs, while Jalin Flores drove in three more.But Franklin’s start deserves its own spotlight.He struck out seven over 5.1 innings and threw 59 of his 83 pitches for strikes. That is the type of efficiency and command that can carry a start. The only run charged to him came in the fourth inning, and by the time he left, Peoria had full control of the game.Dominic Freeberger handled the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run while striking out two.The win pushed Peoria back to 50-50 overall, and the Chiefs are now 18-16 in the second half. More importantly, they are playing their best baseball at the right time, with five straight wins and some real momentum building.Saturday’s headline may belong to Peete’s cycle, and deservedly so.But the pitching line belonged to Franklin.No walks. Seven strikeouts. One earned run. A doubleheader sweep.That will work just fine.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin, RHP, Peoria Chiefs Final Line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Tanner Franklin, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Tai Peete Hits for the Cycle&nbsp; St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSome box scores make you stop.Some make you read them twice.Tai Peete’s Saturday line did both.Peete is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after hitting for the cycle in Peoria’s 13-2 win over Cedar Rapids in the second game of the Chiefs’ doubleheader sweep.His final line: 4-for-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 4 RBI, 4 R, BB, 2 SBPeete did everything. He singled. He doubled. He tripled. He homered. He drove in four runs, scored four times, walked once and stole two bases. He reached base in all five plate appearances and filled up the box score in every possible way.A cycle is rare enough.A cycle with four RBIs, four runs scored, a walk and two stolen bases turns it into something else entirely.Peete’s home run was his 10th of the season. He also added his 14th double, sixth triple and pushed his stolen base total to 11. After the game, he raised his average to .299 and his OPS to .983.Peoria jumped on Cedar Rapids early and never let up. The Chiefs scored one in the first, three in the third, two in the fifth, two more in the sixth and five in the seventh. Peete was right in the middle of it all, setting the tone from the top of the lineup and creating pressure every time he reached base.He was not alone. Sammy Hernandez went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Jalin Flores drove in three. Jack Gurevitch reached three times and drove in his 43rd run. Michael Dattalo had two hits and an RBI.But Saturday belonged to Peete.The night also capped a big day for Peoria. The Chiefs finished off Friday’s suspended game with a 6-5 win in 10 innings, then came back and blasted Cedar Rapids in the nightcap. The doubleheader sweep pushed Peoria’s winning streak to five games and moved the Chiefs back to 50-50 overall.That matters.This is a team that has been trying to climb back into the second-half race, and Peoria is suddenly playing with some real momentum. Games like this help. Performances like Peete’s can lift an entire dugout.Power. Speed. Run production. A cycle. A doubleheader sweep.That is a pretty good Saturday.And for Tai Peete, it was a day worth remembering.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Tai Peete, CF/DH, Peoria Chiefs Final Line: 4-for-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 4 RBI, 4 R, BB, 2 SB The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Tai Peete, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Tai Peete

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

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MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin

MiLB Player of the Day: Tai Peete