Cardinals All-Star Could Be Out of St. Louis by the Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't where they want to be and could be just days away from dealing pieces away.

The trade deadline is approaching and will be here on Aug. 3. The Cardinals have been mightily struggling in the second half of the season and now are one game below .500 at 53-54. Over the last few weeks, the Cardinals have gone from being in the mix for a playoff spot to being on the outside looking in. The second half of the season has been a disaster, to say the least. St. Louis is 2-8 over its last 10 games and is trending in the wrong direction.

So much so that MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that the Cardinals are "open" to moving a catcher, especially Pedro Pagés or Iván Herrera.

The Cardinals Could Make A Splash

Jul 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) and designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) walk back the dugout after ending the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Cardinals — who have the top catching prospect in MLB (Rainiel Rodriguez) at Double-A and another of their Top 5 prospects (Leo Bernal) at Triple-A — could also be open to moving one of their catchers, likely either Pedro Pagés or Iván Herrera, per sources," Feinsand wrote.

Of the two, Herrera would have much higher trade value. He is just 26 years old and earned his first All-Star nod this season. There are few better righty offensive weapons who have been talked about as trade chips this summer.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo reported that the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are two teams that have shown interest in Herrera.

"The Cardinals are willing to listen to offers on anybody on their big league roster not named Jordan Walker or JJ Wetherholt, sources told ESPN. That includes veteran outfielder Lars Nootbaar and All-Star designated hitter/catcher Iván Herrera, who has drawn interest from at least the Yankees and Red Sox," Castillo wrote.

The Red Sox and Cardinals notably got two different deals done this past offseason as the Cardinals traded Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray to Boston. The Red Sox have been in trade rumors over the last few weeks with right-handed bats consistently mentioned. Boston got the trade deadline buzz going by acquiring Curtis Mead from the Washington Nationals already, but he landed on the Injured List after his first game with the organization

So, the Red Sox need a righty bat and have been a familiar trade partner for Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals' front office. Since Bloom took over as the president of baseball operations, the Cardinals have gotten a handful of guys from Boston, including Hunter Dobbins and No. 6 prospect Brandon Clarke. If the Cardinals are going to flip Herrera, Boston would be a very good target for St. Louis.

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