Cardinals Could Use a Starter, But Don't Expect a Blockbuster Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals have a rotation question mark on their hands right now.

May 13, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Baseball is better when the St. Louis Cardinals are good.

The Cardinals are one of the most historic franchises in Major League Baseball, but the last three seasons have been uncharacteristically difficult for the organization. The Cardinals have been one of the most successful franchises in league history. In fact, St. Louis has the second-most World Series titles in league history with 11. The New York Yankees have the most with 27. That record isn't likely to ever be broken — or at least not for a very, very long time.

The last three seasons have been tough, including two trade deadline sales and a devastating 71-91 2023 season. The Cardinals had an incredible 2022 season in which they won 93 games, finished atop the National League Central standings, and captured the attention of the baseball world as Albert Pujols chased 700 homers. Then, the wheels fell off after the 2022 season wrapped up.

The 2026 Cardinals Have Been St. Louis' Best Team Since 2022

Jun 19, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) singles in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The 2026 Cardinals have been the best version of the club since. Right now, St. Louis is 43-38 on the season with the youngest roster in the league and one of the best overall farm systems as well. Hope and optimism are back in St. Louis. With the trade deadline coming up in August, naturally this has led to discussion about how the club could improve — although it's very unlikely St. Louis makes a splash. In fact, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom specifically said the club will not be taking any "shortcuts"

On Tuesday, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand shared a column in which he pinpointed that "biggest trade deadline need" for each playoff contender. For the Cardinals, he pointed to the starting rotation.

"Starting rotation," Feinsand wrote. "First-year president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom probably didn’t expect to be a potential buyer this season, but St. Louis’ surprising performance warrants some moves given its chance to make the playoffs. Adding rotation depth should be a priority; the Cardinals’ five primary starters have made all but two of the team’s starts this season, but workload issues could come into play for Dustin May and Kyle Leahy during the second half."

How Could St. Louis Improve The Starting Rotation?

Jun 5, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Feinsand isn't wrong about the rotation being an area that could use a boost. Arguably, the bullpen is a bigger overall weakness than the rotation right now, but St. Louis specifically needs to make a change with Matthew Liberatore, who has a 5.56 ERA in 16 starts this season.

The Cardinals have a real shot at making the playoffs this season. A way to boost these chances would be switching Liberatore out for someone else right now. While this is the case, it's important to note again that the Cardinals aren't expected to go out and make a splash. Even if the rotation is the club's "biggest trade deadline need," it would be surprising to see it get solved by way of a trade. The Cardinals spent the offseason bolstering the farm system by trading veterans away. Bloom and the front office aren't going to turn around and deplete the farm system again in the first season of this reset period.

So, it would seem that the big-name starters who have already been mentioned in trade rumors, like Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray, and Sandy Alcántara, are just not going to happen. There's no reason to even speculate about them at this point.

If the Cardinals are going to bolster their rotation, the most likely solution would be from within, like promoting Hunter Dobbins. If the Cardinals are playing well and still in playoff contention around the trade deadline and want to add, someone who could be intriguing is Patrick Sandoval of the Boston Red Sox. He's a 29-year-old lefty who hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2024, but that will likely change over the next week or two. He has been working his way back from elbow surgery, but he has a 4.01 career ERA in 107 career MLB games.

If the Cardinals are going to add, he's the type of player that could make sense because he surely won't cost a lot, since he hasn't pitched in the majors in roughly two years. Again, it's important to note that the most likely solution is internal.