Cardinals Best (And Worst) Offseason Move After the First Half

The St. Louis Cardinals will kick off the second half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season on Friday night against old friend Nolan Arenado and the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road.

Before the second half, let's take a look back briefly at what got the Cardinals here. The Cardinals are 50-45 through 95 games and in third place in the National League Central, behind the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs. On top of this, the Cardinals are just one game behind the Miami Marlins for the final National League Wild Card spot.

It's been a fun season so far and the push for a postseason spot will begin on Friday night. That's certainly not something that many expected to be the case before the season. The Cardinals spent the offseason trading veterans away to kick off Chaim Bloom's tenure as the club's president of baseball operations. The Cardinals ripped the Band-Aid and fully invested in a youth movement, which has worked out so far.

With that being said, let's take a look at the club's best — and worst — move of the offseason now that the first half of the 2026 season has come and gone.

Best Move: Trading Brendan Donovan To The Seattle Mariners

May 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) hits a triple against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While it certainly stung to trade a homegrown All-Star away, Bloom and the Cardinals' front office did a great job with this deal. The three-team blockbuster deal netted St. Louis No. 4 prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje, No. 17 prospect Tai Peete, Triple-A outfield prospect Colton Ledbetter and two Competitive Balance Round B picks. With those picks, the Cardinals selected outfielder Andrew Williamson out of Central Florida and pitcher Dawson Montesa out of West Virginia.

Unfortunately, Donovan has only been able to play in 25 games this season for the Mariners due to injury. In exchange, the Cardinals got five total prospects with Cijntje being the jewel of the deal. Now, he's one step away from the majors as well in Triple-A.

Worst Move: Sonny Gray Trade

Jul 10, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This isn't to say the Cardinals had the wrong idea flipping Gray. Trading veterans away was the right call. The Gray deal also could very well turn around. In the long run, it will likely be good for the club, but it just hasn't been so far.

The Cardinals acquired No. 7 prospect Brandon Clarke, who is very interesting, but he missed the first few months of the season. He has begun a minor league rehab assignment and has one start under his belt with the FCL Cardinals. The Cardinals acquired Richard Fitts in the deal, but he got hurt and underwent season-ending lat surgery.

Plus, the Cardinals paid the Red Sox $20 million to cover part of Gray's contract. Gray has looked like a Cy Young Award contender and he has an 11-1 record and a 2.54 ERA in 17 start. The Cardinals paid a lot of cash and got two hurlers who haven't been able to contribute much this season in exchange for a legit star. In the long run, Clarke and Fitts will help the Cardinals, but this deal has stung a bit so far.

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