Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis Surprisingly Linked to Cubs' Seiya Suzuki

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't trending in the right direction right now.

St. Louis has lost three straight games and six of its last 10 games. Now, the Cardinals find themselves just three games above .500 at 51-48. While this is the case, the Cardinals would still be in the playoffs if the season were to end today. St. Louis currently has the No. 3 National League Wild Card spot, but the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates are now tied with the Cardinals in the standings.

The standings are tight in the National League, to say the least. Again, the Cardinals, Marlins and Pirates are all tied. The Arizona Diamondbacks are a half-game back and the Washington Nationals are just one game back. We're now under two weeks away from the trade deadline and it's going to be intriguing to see how the club will handle it because the club is struggling right now, especially in the bullpen, but they are in playoff contention. It would be shocking to see the club make a splashy addition, to say the least. Chaim Bloom has made it clear that the Cardinals won't take any "shortcuts" this summer. But this surprisingly didn't stop ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel from mentioning the Cardinals among the best fits for Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

"No. 24. Seiya Suzuki, OF, Chicago Cubs," McDaniel and Passan wrote. "Chance of being traded: 15 percent. Rest-of-season impact: Moderate. Years of control: Just the rest of 2026. The buzz: Chicago wants to get creative to fill its pitching issues, and that means at least listening on Suzuki, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. Considering the paucity of impact outfielders available, Chicago could try to take advantage of the market and lean into its depth with Michael Conforto and Kevin Alcantara. ...

An Unlikely Connection

Jul 7, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (27) jokes around with teammates before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Best fits: Rays, Mariners, Marlins, Padres, Phillies, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Cardinals."

This is surprising, to say the least. First and foremost, Suzuki would be a rental as he's heading to free agency after the season. So, that already goes against the point of the Cardinals not taking "shortcuts" this summer. Next, it would be surprising to see the Cardinals and Cubs swing a deal of this nature.

Both are fighting for playoff spots and would have Wild Card spots if the season ended today. Suzuki is slashing .273/.357/.476 with 16 homers and 50 RBIs. He's a great player who could help most lineups. Two NL Central rivals swinging a deal that would have an impact this large just doesn't seem likely mid-season.

Another variable that would seemingly make this idea unlikely is the fact that the Cardinals don't really need another outfielder right now. Jordan Walker, Nathan Church and Lars Nootbaar are doing a good job holding it down in the outfield for St. Louis. If an injury were to pop up, No. 3 prospect Joshua Báez would be the obvious next option for a significant role. All of this is to say, don't expect to see Suzuki in St. Louis this summer.

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