The St. Louis Cardinals have started to play better baseball as of late. They have now won five consecutive games and are back to .500.
What they will do at the trade deadline is unknown at the present moment. Selling makes the most sense for the team this year, but they may not see it that way.
They are only three games back of first place, but the National League Central is the weakest division in Major League Baseball.
President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, who is retiring at the end of the season, outlined what his plan might be this year at the deadline and even hinted at the team buying rather than selling.
“We hope we’re in a position where we’re adding to our club. But if we’re not, we have a lot of exciting pieces that teams would value as we get closer to July 31,” Mozeliak said.
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“Time will tell. But I think it’s a fun team to watch, I think it’s entertaining. And I hope we have to make some really hard decisions.”
If the Cardinals do buy this year, it likely won’t be anything significant that makes them a clear contender. Even if they add, they won’t be able to compete with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ultimately, selling makes more sense, as they are in the middle of a transition season. Pitchers such as Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton can bring back a haul of prospects if they continue performing well.
The Cardinals need to rebuild their farm system and add prospects, which could set them up well for 2026, when Chaim Bloom takes over for Mozeliak.
It will be interesting to see what they decide to do. But buying may not be the right choice.
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