Cardinals Would Be Smart To Continue Dustin May Trend This Offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Dustin May to a one-year contract this offseason, but were able to trade the veteran pitcher for a haul at the deadline.

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) is hugged by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante (53) 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

The St. Louis Cardinals wisely stuck with their plans to continue their rebuild at the trade deadline, despite being surprisingly successful this season.

St. Louis signaled a full-scale rebuild last year at the deadline and followed that up by trading away star players during the offseason to bolster its farm system. While the Cardinals primarily focused on developing young talent this season, the team did make a couple of savvy signings during the offseason, including acquiring veteran starting pitcher Dustin May to a one-year, $12 million contract.

May, 28, had a career year last season, making 23 starts in 25 appearances while fanning 123 strikeouts, but posted a 4.96 ERA. The veteran hurler has been a consistent innings-eater in 21 starts for the Cardinals this year, clearly displaying his worth. Similar to last season, May was traded at the deadline by St. Louis in a deal that brought in prospects Alexander Frias (No. 4) and Josiah Ragsdale (No. 10).

St. Louis was smart to flip May at the deadline

Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals are still in their rebuild and likely won't be ready to contend in the next couple of years. In the meantime, it would be smart for the team to continue the trend of signing veteran pitchers like May to short-term contracts and flipping them at the trade deadline for a haul of prospects.

"The Cardinals were happy with the return they got from the Diamondbacks for Nootbaar in pitchers Daniel Eagen (now their No. 17 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) and Sandro Santana (No. 22), but the bigger return came from the Brewers for May and Romero," MLB.com's Will Leitch wrote on Wednesday. "While Romero will be a valuable piece for the Brewers when he’s off the IL, the true jewel of the trade is May, whom you’re likely to see start an NLDS game for Milwaukee come October.

"The return is a clear endorsement of Bloom’s decision to sign May to a one-year deal, rehab his value and flip him at the Deadline, and expect the Cardinals to try a similar strategy this coming offseason. That May is Exhibit A in the Cardinals’ case that they that can get pitchers like him back on track is an excellent sign moving forward as well. The May signing, during a rebuilding season, was an unqualified win for Bloom and the regime."

St. Louis made the right decisions at the trade deadline to position the team for future success. If the team can continue to provide veterans the opportunity to prove their worth, then flip them for prospects, expect the Cardinals' rebuild to progress more quickly than expected.