Cardinals Have Important Question to Answer at Trade Deadline

The Cardinals haven't decided how to proceed just yet.

May 21, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have played a lot better than they were expected to this season and have found themselves right in the thick of the playoff race with the month of May coming to a close soon. They are 29-23 and sit 2 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central, a division in which every team is above the .500 mark.

However, the trade deadline is coming up in August. It's a few days later than usual this year, and that means that teams will have more time to not only make moves, but also decide which direction to take.

For the Cardinals, the direction seems clear, but that doesn't mean their strategy is completely set for the deadline. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report noted that the biggest question the Cardinals have to answer is whether or not they will be buyers.

What direction will Cardinals take?

May 19, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise, as they are seven games above .500 at the time of publication," Kelly wrote. "That might not be sustainable, but Jordan Walker has emerged as one of the game's elite sluggers, while JJ Wetherholt has hit the ground running as a rookie and Michael McGreavy has been a breakout starter.

"This team might just be more talented than what we expected."

There is still a lot of time until the trade deadline comes around, which means the Cardinals don't have to decide what their path is going to be today. However, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has made it clear that he doesn't want to divert from the long-term plan, so if the Cardinals do buy, it likely won't be anything substantial.

Perhaps a minor bullpen addition or potentially another starter could be in the cards, but St. Louis is still rebuilding following three straight postseason misses, so it would make sense for them to keep their focus on the future.

For that reason, selling would seem to be the better path, or at the very least, holding firm. St. Louis needs to stay focused on the task at hand, which is building a better team for the next several years and not necessarily pushing the chips to make a run in 2026.

The Cardinals have two pieces on expiring contracts, pitchers JoJo Romero and Dustin May, that could be sent to contending teams at the deadline if they don't stay in the race.