Cardinals Could Look to Twins All-Star to Plug Struggling Starting Rotation

Could the St. Louis Cardinals actually make a splash at the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline?

At first glance, the answer to this question should be no. The Cardinals are great, but are in the first year of what is supposed to be a reset period under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. He came in and took over an organization that needed a boost after three straight down years. He ripped the Band-Aid off and traded veterans away to open up playing time for young guys and bring prospects into the organization. It was the right plan. In response, the young guys have stepped up and the team is significantly better than it was over the last few years.

Right now, the Cardinals are 40-33 on the season and in second place in the National League Central. The Cardinals also have the No. 1 National League Wild Card as well. If the Cardinals keep winning and are 10-plus games above .500 by the time the trade deadline comes in August, then it's worth a conversation. As of right now, the Cardinals shouldn't make a splash just to make a splash. If the deadline was tomorrow, the idea of adding some cheap piece around the edge would make sense. If the Cardinals look like real contenders at the deadline and are more games above .500, then the idea of more could be considered.

The bullpen has been the biggest weakness for the club throughout the season, but there are some serious question marks about the rotation right now as well. Matthew Liberatore has a 5.23 ERA in 15 starts. Kyle Leahy has a 4.63 ERA in 14 starts. Neither of those numbers are going to cut it. It would be a surprise to see the Cardinals do anything rash to fix the rotation, but ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel did list the Cardinals among the best fits for Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan.

The Cardinals Could Use A Starter

Jun 18, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) comes off the field after he pitches against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"The buzz: Ryan was one of the lone survivors after the Twins' teardown last deadline — and Minnesota was deep into discussions on deals involving him, as well," Passan and McDaniel wrote. "So, a move would surprise nobody, particularly considering that Ryan looks better than ever this season. Here are the pitchers with better K-BB% this year: Jacob Misiorowski, Paul Skenes, Jacob deGrom and Cristopher Sanchez. That's it. Calling him a front-line starter is not just Minnesota Nice. ...

"Best fits: Cubs, Padres, A's, Diamondbacks, Braves, White Sox, Nationals, Blue Jays, Cardinals."

Ryan has the talent to make him interesting. He has a 3.17 ERA in 15 starts and is 30 years old. He's also under team control for one more season, which makes him even more interesting. There's no doubt that he would help propel the Cardinals forward, but the price tag is very important to consider here.

Unless the Cardinals are significantly above .500 and have a legit shot at winning the World Series, it wouldn't make sense to package together a few top prospects for anyone. If you could do something like Victor Scott II or Nathan Church, Nolan Gorman, and maybe one prospect it would be something worth considering. On the outfield front, Joshua Báez is coming and will make an outfielder or two expendable. But objectively a deal starting with Scott, Church or Gorman likely isn't going to get it done for Ryan. So, a fun idea and interesting that two prominent league insiders floated the Cardinals for Ryan, but it doesn't seem likely at this moment.

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