Cardinals Trade Deadline Strategy Remains Unchanged Despite Hot Start

The Cardinals have some decisions to make.

Apr 15, 2019; Milwaukee, WI, USA; A cap rests on the dug out wall with the number 42 on the hat in honor of Major League Baseball s Jackie Robinson Day. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of Major League Baseball's biggest surprises. They came into Thursday's action on a six-game winning streak and held the top National League wild card spot.

This comes after St. Louis essentially tore down its roster last offseason by trading four veterans. There are a lot of questions they must answer at the trade deadline in terms of what direction they want to go.

A lot of that will be determined by where they are in the standings. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discussed the idea of the Cardinals potentially buying at the deadline and possibly put some focus into making a run in 2026, but made clear that the long-term plan is still the top priority.

What will the Cardinals do?

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

"They've geared up for this idea, and there's still a way for them to thread that needle where they can do both things," Goold said. "But the urgent move where they're trading from their future to get for the now, they want to be in position to do that when they think they can make noise in October, not when they think they can slip into October."

The Cardinals have a lot of pieces that could be trade candidates. They have three pitchers on expiring contracts that could potentially be moved. Dustin May, Ryne Stanek and JoJo Romero are the obvious trade candidates.

But it appears that the long-term goal is still the focus for the Cardinals, and that may still mean that they decide to sell at the trade deadline. If not, perhaps the best move is for them to hold firm and not make any moves at all.

This would seemingly rule out the idea of the Cardinals doing any buying at the trade deadline, which ultimately is the right move. With the need to strengthen the farm system, they cannot afford to let go of prospects just to put themselves in position to make a run in 2026.

Perhaps they could clear out some positional logjams and add that way, but they cannot afford to trade prospects, as the focus needs to be on the future. It seems that Chaim Bloom is not deviating from his plan, and that will ultimately determine what the Cardinals decide to do in the coming weeks.

The deadline is August 3, and there is still time left to decide, but the Cardinals seem to have made their goals clear.