Cardinals Have Clear Area to Improve in At Trade Deadline

Could the Cardinals change their approach?

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) is doused with water by center fielder Nathan Church (27) and shortstop Masyn Winn (0) after throwing a complete game one hitter against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to have bounced back from their series loss to the Minnesota Twins just fine. They won another series with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night, this time against the San Diego Padres.

It's clear that the 2026 team is much better than expected. The Cardinals were expected to rebuild in 2026 rather than contend, but they have found a way to do both.

The trade deadline is going to present the Cardinals with a few options. They could buy, sell, or stand pat. Jim Duquette of MLB Network shared what he thinks the Cardinals will do at the deadline and where he thinks they will choose to focus.

"The longer this goes, I think they're going to make a deal for a starting pitcher," Duquette said. "They're for real. I think you can start to believe in them."

Cardinals may be for real, could look to add starter

Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after throwing a complete game one hitter against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

In terms of who the Cardinals can acquire, it is highly unlikely that Tarik Skubal is even going to be considered here. However, the Cardinals will probably look at starters that won't cost them a lot in return to boost the rotation.

Los Angeles Angels' left-hander Reid Detmers could be an option. They'll still want to stick with the plan for the future and stay true to their rebuild. Detmers is somebody that likely won't cost them too much. Justin Verlander could be an interesting fit too if the Detroit Tigers decide to sell.

But there are ways the Cardinals can upgrade their rotation without mortgaging the future. They will just have to make sure they don't get tempted to make a blockbuster deal.

The Cardinals are only 4 1/2 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, and they currently lead the wild card race, so there are reasons to believe this team could find some ways to boost its roster.

Perhaps the Cardinals are trending towards buying rather than selling. They have a lot of tradable pieces that could be on the move if they do sell, but they are playing well enough to at least consider the idea of possibly adding a piece or two to the mix.

It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals decide to do, but there are certainly reasons for them to not simply throw in the towel on 2026, as long as they don't lose sight of their main goal.