Cardinals' Riley O'Brien Named Potential Fit for Two AL Central Teams

The Cardinals have a choice to make with their closer.

Jul 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have been slumping as of late. While it's clear what their trade deadline strategy will be, it remains to be seen who will get moved. The obvious candidates are Lars Nootbaar, Dustin May, Ryne Stanek and JoJo Romero, but they may not be the only ones moved.

All-Star closer Riley O'Brien carries a lot of value after a strong first half and his 26 saves, which is near the top of the National League. He also owns a 3.50 ERA on the season.

In the latest trade deadline big board courtesy of The Athletic, O'Brien was named a possible trade fit for the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins, who are battling for postseason spots in the American League.

"Among potential relievers, O’Brien is perhaps the most intriguing. The 2017 eighth-round draft pick pitched to a 2.06 ERA last season for St. Louis, flashing an elite fastball and extension. A season later, the extension and velocity are still there, but the results aren’t. Still, O’Brien largely limits hard contact and generates groundballs at a high level. That he won’t hit arbitration until 2028 and is controlled through 2030 makes him all the more fascinating."

Riley O'Brien Named Fit for Two AL Central Teams

Jul 20, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) throws in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

O'Brien does carry a lot of intrigue with the deadline closing in. The Cardinals can probably get a little bit more for him than their rentals simply because he is under club control through the 2030 season.

Trading him might make sense because he is already 31 years old, and relievers can be volatile over time, so this might be the point where his value is as high as it's going to be. Not capitalizing on it now could have consequences in the future, though St. Louis isn't in a spot where they necessarily have to trade him.

The White Sox and Twins both need bullpen help. It might take some top prospects to get a deal done, and the White Sox aren't in a position to part with any of their top prospects, so a deal to the Twins might be more likely if the Cardinals are going to trade him.

Minnesota is buying at the trade deadline and could use a strong back-end presence in its bullpen to get through the rest of the 2026 season and potentially get to the top of the American League Central.

It should be interesting to see where O'Brien's market goes.