Cardinals Should Pursue 38-Year-Old Buy-Low Trade Target At Deadline

It would be surprising to see the St. Louis Cardinals pull off a big trade at the deadline, but that doesn't mean they won't be active.

Aug 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; A detailed view of a baseball glove and St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout during the game between the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It will be interesting to see how the St. Louis Cardinals handle the impending trade deadline as the team sits just outside of the playoff picture.

The Cardinals prepared for a full-scale rebuild this offseason under the new president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, selling off Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado, along with trading both Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox.

After trading away so many of their key players from last season, the Cardinals were not supposed to be performing as well as they are this year. At 48-43, St. Louis is only a couple of games out of the final wild-card playoff spot, making it more unclear what the team will do at the trade deadline.

St. Louis should be cautious on what players the team pursues

Jun 27, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the sixth inning of a between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite all of their success, it would be surprising to see the Cardinals make a big splash as buyers at the deadline. Giving up solid prospects or overpaying in a trade during a season where St. Louis did not expect to experience this level of success could be a mistake for the team's future.

If the Cardinals elect not to sell at the trade deadline, perhaps the team should focus on trading for players who can make an impact now, but who they wouldn't be tied down to long-term. One player St. Louis should pursue a deal for is New York Mets reliever Brooks Raley, who Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly named a "buy-low" candidate.

"Brooks Raley might not be the guy an NL contender acquires to get Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper or Matt Olson out in the eighth inning, but he could be someone an aggressive manager turns to in the sixth to try to get out of a jam against a tough lefty," Kelly wrote on Wednesday. "Lefties are hitting just .188 with a .572 OPS against Raley this year. In the three-batter minimum era, you need to be able to get out righties as well, and he has done that, with right-handed hitters batting .236 with a .698 OPS off of him this season.

"Raley is 38 years old and on an expiring contract, so he's not going to bring back much for the Mets. Both he and A.J. Minter are interesting left-handed options that David Stearns likely will deal in the coming weeks."

The Cardinals' bullpen has not been great this season, posting a 4.31 bullpen ERA, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. Bringing in a reliever like Raley would give the team a boost down the stretch, but also would likely not shake up any plans with a rebuild, as the 38-year-old is on an expiring contract.

If St. Louis looks to add at the trade deadline, pursuing a buy-low candidate like Raley is likely the best route the team should take.

More MLB: Cardinals a 'Dream Match' for Mariners Ace Logan Gilbert, Although Unlikely