Dustin May Doesn't Want His Time In St. Louis To Come To An End Yet

Despite the St. Louis Cardinals' success this season, it would be surprising to see the team splurge at all during the trade deadline.

After falling apart in the second half of last season, the Cardinals began diving into a full-scale rebuild, selling off at the deadline and then following that up by trading away multiple star players during the offseason. St. Louis did not make any big additions during the offseason, but did sign multiple veterans to one-year contracts, including Dustin May.

May signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with a mutual option for the 2027 season worth $20 million. The 28-year-old hurler has been a steady piece of the Cardinals' starting rotation this season, posting a 4.59 ERA with 103 strikeouts across 20 starts.

It's seeming more and more likely that the Cardinals will be sellers

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin Ma — Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals appear to be heading for the same result of selling as last season after struggling to start the second half of the season after the All-Star break. St. Louis held the final wild-card playoff spot at one point but is now on the outside looking in.

With May on an expiring, team-friendly contract, he likely is one of the Cardinals' best trade chips. The veteran hurler, however, made it known recently that he would love to remain with the Cardinals despite the trade rumors, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“Whether I’m here or not it’s not up to me," May said, per Goold. "I would love to stay. I love this group of guys. It’s been a lot of fun this year. You never know what this next week’s going to hold.”

Though May wants to stay in St. Louis, he also clearly understands that it's not up to him. With the trade deadline only a week away, the Cardinals will need to decide whether or not they will be sellers. If the team does want to trade away players, May will likely be one of the first players gone.

May just put together one of his best outings of late on Friday, allowing one earned run in six innings pitched with eight strikeouts, but has not been dominant throughout this season. The veteran pitcher is on an expiring contract, and St. Louis likely wouldn't agree to his $20 million mutual option for next season either way.

It's positive that May has found a place where he wants to stay in St. Louis, but with the way things are trending for the team, it would be surprising to see him on the roster for long.

More MLB: 28-Year-Old Outfielder Would Be Great Buy-Low Trade Candidate For Cardinals

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