Cardinals Fans Shouldn't Get Hopes Up About Tarik Skubal

The Cardinals could be in a different position at the trade deadline, but shouldn't change their approach.

Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals may have finally hit their first rough patch of the 2026 season. Right-hander Dustin May took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on Wednesday, only for the Cardinals to falter and lose 2-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers, suffering a sweep at the hands of their division rivals.

St. Louis is still in second place in the National League Central, but they are now 4 1/2 games behind Milwaukee. Still, they have performed better than expected and could be a team to watch down the stretch.

The trade deadline is approaching for this young team, and some top names such as Tarik Skubal will be available at the deadline. However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic shut down any potential rumors of Skubal coming to St. Louis.

"A Skubal trade would be a game changer for the surprising Cardinals, but team president Chaim Bloom is not trading his top prospects for a rental — at least not this year. They are still building and he’s looking for more years of control for future starting pitching acquisitions," Bowden wrote.

Skubal trade makes no sense for Cardinals

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Considering where the Cardinals currently are in their rebuild, adding Skubal to the mix doesn't make sense. He would be nothing more than a rental for St. Louis, and he would cost a lot of top prospects, which St. Louis really isn't in a position to trade right now.

Plus, the chances of bringing back Skubal in free agency are incredibly slim. His price will be high, and the Cardinals rarely outbid bigger market teams for star players such as this, so it is not worth it for St. Louis to sell the farm in order to push the chips for this year only.

St. Louis needs its top prospects right now. Players such as Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez, Leonardo Bernal. Joshua Baez and Jurrangelo Cijintje are simply too valuable right now, and losing them for just a rental could actually set the Cardinals back in their rebuild, which ultimately is the last thing that they need to have happen as they remain focused on the future rather than making a push for 2026.

It may be tempting, but Skubal to St. Louis is highly unlikely and should not be prioritized. If the Cardinals weren't rebuilding, it would make perfect sense, but they are in the middle of a rebuild, which makes things complicated.