Cardinals Reunion? Michael Wacha Called 'Perfect' Deadline Target

The St. Louis Cardinals don't seem likely to add right now, but there are names worth watching.

Jul 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) follows through on a pitch against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the St. Louis Cardinals add before the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline, which is a big "if," the most obvious way to do so would be in the starting rotation.

After losing against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night, the Cardinals find themselves at 52-50 and in fourth place in the National League Central. The second half of the season hasn't been kind to the Cardinals so far, to say the least. St. Louis is 2-5 since the second half kicked off and there is just over one week to go until the deadline. Right now, the Cardinals are 1 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.

Cardinals president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, said there would be no "shortcuts" this season. So, that already makes the idea of trading prospects away unlikely. And now, the Cardinals are just two games above .500. So, it's hard to imagine the club really making a splash, although the club isn't out of the playoff race. It's going to be an interesting week for Bloom as he charts out the direction of the franchise. If the Cardinals add, pitching should be the priority. On Friday, The Athletic's Jim Bowden shared a column pinpointing the "perfect" target for each contending team in the league. The Cardinals were on the list and Bowden mentioned old friend Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals.

The Cardinals Have A Big Week Ahead

Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha (52) pitches during the fourth inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"St. Louis Cardinals — Michael Wacha, RHP, Kansas City Royals," Bowden wrote. "The Cardinals need to go for it and why not have a reunion with Wacha, who was drafted by St. Louis 12 years ago? He’s controllable through 2027 with a team option for 2028 at a reasonable annual salary ($18 million this year and $14 million each of the next two years). An AL All-Star, Wacha has a 3.66 ERA in 125 1/3 innings."

Again, the Cardinals certainly don't seem likely to add at this moment. But Wacha would be the perfect type of player to bring back to town.

This season, Wacha has a 3.66 ERA in 20 starts. He's dependable and hasn't finished a season with an ERA below 3.86 since 2021. Also, he spent the first seven seasons of his career in town. The 35-year-old also is under contract for the 2027 season and then has a $14 million club option for 2028.

The Cardinals have the second-youngest team in baseball with an average age of 26.9 years old. You need solid veterans, along with the young guys, to have success in the big leagues. The Cardinals' rotation specifically is full of young guys right now. If the club could add a veteran like Wacha to the group, it would do wonders for St. Louis. The MLB season is long. Sometimes you see young guys come on strong at the beginning of the season, but fall off later on, in part because they don't know how to manage the grind yet. That's a place where having savvy veterans, like Wacha, could really help.

Wacha really would be the perfect target for St. Louis. He's having a good season, he's a veteran, he's already had success in St. Louis, and he wouldn't be a rental. It's hard to see the Cardinals handing out prospects to make any deal, but Wacha would help this team.