Cardinals' Riley O'Brien Shares Honest Thoughts About Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals have some decisions to make.

Jul 11, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to begin the second half on Friday night with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are 50-45 after 95 games and are just one game back of a wild card spot, so anything can happen with this team.

What is unclear is what the Cardinals will ultimately do at the trade deadline. They were long thought to be sellers after trading away Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras in the offseason, but it's not quite as clear with the team in contention.

All-Star closer Riley O'Brien is among the top potential trade candidates. Before the All-Star Game, he shared his thoughts on what might happen at the deadline.

"What's great about out clubhouse is there's not too much of the outside noise," O'Brien said. "We're playing hard for each other and whatever happens at the deadline happens.

Riley O'Brien shares honest thoughts about trade deadline

Jun 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) throws in relief against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

O'Brien is tied for second in the National League in saves behind Mason Miller. He isn't a free agent until 2030, which could improve his trade stock.

The Cardinals likely aren't going to simply stand pat at the deadline. They're going to pick a direction, or perhaps multiple directions. They have a lot of players, including O'Brien, who could be dealt away.

At the same time, if they are in contention, a complete fire sale doesn't make a lot of sense. They could still trade players on expiring contracts like Dustin May and JoJo Romero. Even Lars Nootbaar could be on the move.

Perhaps the Cardinals could do a little bit of both, keeping players like O'Brien but still moving those on expiring contracts like May and Romero. Ryne Stanek is another player who will be a free agent at the end of the year who could be moved.

But the Cardinals are going to be a very interesting case study in the next few weeks. They were not expected to contend, yet here they are, just one game out of a wild card spot.

It is important too to remember that selling doesn't always mean conceding. The Detroit Tigers were sellers in 2024, but cleared spots for younger players and ultimately surged into a wild card spot. The Cardinals could potentially take a similar path here.

The deadline is on August 3, so by then, Chaim Bloom should have more clarity on what he wants to do.