Cardinals All-Star Closer Could "Make Sense" as Possible Trade Chip

The Cardinals have a lot of pieces teams will be interested in.

Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (55) pitches during the third inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have fallen below the .500 mark for the first time this season. 2026 was always meant to be a rebuilding year for St. Louis, and the team's recent struggles essentially confirm what fans already knew to be true.

The Cardinals will be sellers in the coming days with the trade deadline close. This is a team that needs to prioritize the future instead of chasing short-term success. Their obvious trade candidates are Dustin May, Ryne Stanek and JoJo Romero, all pitchers on expiring contracts.

However, Bob Nightengale of USA Today believes that there is another that makes sense in All-Star closer Riley O'Brien.

"He would make sense just because so many people need backend relievers," Nightengale said on The Lou Sports Talk podcast. "He was an All-Star. He doesn't have to be a closer necessarily, he could be a setup guy. I think he could go in the right deal. Certainly, they don't have to because he's under team control and everything else, but if somebody wants to blow them away, I think they would ship him out in a heartbeat."

Riley O'Brien's trade value

Jul 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) reacts after defeating the the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

O'Brien hasn't quite been as dominant as he was earlier in the season, but he still has a ton of value given his years of club control and the fact that he is among the National League leaders with 26 saves.

Again, as Nightengale notes, trading O'Brien isn't a must, but if the Cardinals get the right offer, they would be foolish not to take it. O'Brien is also 31 years old, so he isn't exactly young. Relievers are also volatile and are not always able to repeat the same success in later years, so capitalizing on him while they can is certainly a good idea if that opportunity arises.

Chaim Bloom is making the wise choice by sticking to the plan he had laid out for the Cardinals upon taking over for John Mozeliak. Any player on an expiring contract is likely to be moved, but O'Brien certainly can't be ruled out.

The Cardinals at the very least have a clear plan in place and are not deviating from it, which is ultimately the right call as they focus on the future and do what they can to set themselves up for their next opportunity to contend, which likely won't be for a few years. It will be interesting to see if St. Louis shops O'Brien.