Cardinals Should Cash in on Dustin May if One Thing Happens

Dustin May's trade value may have just gone up.

Jul 2, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals have some tough calls to make in the coming weeks regarding the August 3 trade deadline. They must decide what direction they are going to go. Based on comments from Chaim Bloom himself, the Cardinals aren't going to sacrifice prospects for short-term fixes.

While this doesn't officially confirm it, selling seems like the most logical path for St. Louis, and they have a lot of trade chips on the roster, including right-hander Dustin May. The Cardinals should obviously be looking to trade him, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic notes that the Detroit Tigers are now hesitant to trade Tarik Skubal.

As crazy as it sounds, that could work in the Cardinals' favor.

Tarik Skubal report could drive up Dustin May's value

Jul 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 28-year-old right-hander is 5-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 18 starts and hasn't quite been himself since pitching a complete-game shutout against the San Diego Padres. However, Skubal is the best pitcher on the market, and if he, as a rental, is taken off, that could suddenly boost May's market.

Pitchers with years of control such as Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers might be hard to acquire, as the Los Angeles Angels don't typically like to sell at trade deadlines, so that could push May to the top of the pack.

Depending on the market, rental starting pitchers can cost a lot, and in this market, especially if Skubal is taken off the board, the Cardinals hold a lot of leverage and can sell high on May, which could give them some good prospects in return.

Some major league ready starting pitching prospects would be beneficial so that the Cardinals can have options available in case of an injury. It's also important to remember that selling at the trade deadline doesn't necessarily mean throwing away the season. The Tigers themselves proved that in 2024.

Every so often, there is a team that improves after selling at the deadline. But if the Cardinals sell May at the right price, they could be in good shape for the future and even have some better options down the stretch this year.

The focus is going to be on the future for St. Louis, and they shouldn't be buying unless somebody that is affordable fits into their future plans. Selling high on May could be key, though, and if Skubal is off the market, then the Cardinals have a unique opportunity at their disposal.