Cardinals Linked to Tigers All-Star Casey Mize With Deadline Approaching

When the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline gets here in August, the St. Louis Cardinals are going to have to look in the mirror and decide whether they want to try to infuse this roster with more talent for a playoff push, stay put, or deal veterans away for prospects.

With the Cardinals currently sitting at 47-40 and holding a National League Wild Card spot, that should at least make the idea of adding — or at least staying put — possible, which is a shock considering that this is a team that traded Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras this past offseason.

If the Cardinals add any pieces, arguably the two areas to look at would be rotation or bullpen depth. The Cardinals have put themselves in a position to have these discussions, although that doesn't guarantee that the club will actually add. St. Louis shouldn't do anything that costs the club any of its top prospects. But if there are arms that could be had for a mid-tier prospect or two, why not?

On Monday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel shared an updated column with a look at the top trade candidates around the league with potential landing spots. One name they connected to St. Louis was Detroit Tigers hurler Casey Mize.

The Cardinals Should Target Casey Mize

Jun 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) pitches against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"No. 8. Casey Mize, RHP, Detroit Tigers," Passan and McDaniel wrote. "Chance of being traded: 60 percent. Rest-of-season impact: High if it continues to click. Years of control: Just the rest of 2026. The buzz: While Mize has twice hit the injured list with a strained groin, his most recent start illustrates why he'll be in high demand if Detroit decides to punt. He threw seven scoreless innings and allowed one hit while striking out 10 Yankees. ...

"His fastball velocity is the lowest of his big league career, but he has four above-average pitches (fastball, cutter, sweeper, splitter) that are all performing (via runs value) as at least average pitches. ... Best fits: Braves, Padres, Cubs, Brewers, White Sox, A's, Cardinals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays."

Of course, the Cardinals aren't the only team that was mentioned as a fit for Mize. It's not hard to see why he would be a hot commodity in the trade market. The 29-year-old is having the best season of his career to this point with a 2.64 ERA in 13 starts. Last year, he earned his first All-Star nod and had a 2.88 ERA after 13 starts. This year, he has been even better.

The biggest knock on Mize is the fact that he isn't under contract beyond the 2026 season. But he's still a worthy target. The reason why this is the case, is that Mize is the type of hurler that also would make sense for the Cardinals in free agency after the season. He was the No. 1 overall pick back in the 2018 MLB Draft. The beginning of his big league career was marred by injuries. He pitched in just 39 games total across his first three seasons in the majors, with 30 of those coming in 2021. Then, he missed the 2023 season due to injury.

He has clearly started to find it over the last three seasons, though. He had a 4.49 ERA in 22 appearances in 2024. In 2025, he was an All-Star and finished the season with a 3.87 ERA. And this year, he has been incredible. Right now, Spotrac has his projected free agent market value set at just over $69 million across four seasons.

If the Cardinals could land him — and then try to keep him around for the long haul — he'd be the perfect target. Plus, he's just 29 years old. The Cardinals could use another starter to put near the top of the rotation. Mize doesn't have the cache of other top pitching trade candidates, like Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta, but he could be exactly what the Cardinals need.

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