Cardinals Send Pair of Veteran Pitchers to Brewers in Blockbuster Trade

The St. Louis Cardinals made their first trade of the day.

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) is greeted by teammates during a game against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With hours to spare before the trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals made their first move, sending Dustin May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for two outfield prospects, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale. Ken Rosenthal was first with the news, and Katie Woo provided the update on the return.

Class A outfielder Alexander Frías and Double A outfielder Josiah Ragsdale are coming from Milwaukee to St. Louis in the return, per a source. Both considered top 30 prospects. https://t.co/BSeBeKf2Uf

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) August 3, 2026

So, the Cardinals have committed to selling at the trade deadline. This likely will not be the last trade that Chaim Bloom makes today, but the Cardinals got a solid pair of prospects in exchange for two rental pitchers.

Chaim Bloom pulls off rare feat in trade

Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jojo Romero (59) throws against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

John Mozeliak almost never made trades within the National League Central. However, that is exactly what Chaim Bloom has done today. St. Louis added two legitimate prospects in exchange for Romero and May.

What made this easier is that the Cardinals are 14 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central and have virtually no chance of catching them. But in making this trade, Bloom has beefed up the farm system.

May was 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts with St. Louis this season. The Cardinals gave him a one-year, $12.5 million contract last December with the idea of trading him at the deadline. The deal includes a mutual option, but the Brewers are now the ones who will have to decide what to do with it.

Romero has been out for the entire second half of the season after an appendectomy, but he has been one of the Cardinals' most reliable relievers since being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022.

This year, Romero is 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 44 appearances. He has been a solid left-handed specialist for St. Louis over the past several years, and the bullpen was certainly missing him when he landed on the injured list.

Ultimately, the return the Cardinals got is pretty solid for two rental pitchers, and it strengthens the farm system with even more young talent. The next player to go is likely Ryne Stanek, as he is on an expiring contract.

But it will be interesting to see what else Bloom has planned for the rest of the day. The final hours have arrived and the deadline is closing in fast. The Cardinals jumped on a great opportunity to capitalize on the value of some of their assets, and the future looks a little brighter now because of it.