How Cardinals' Chaim Bloom Could Attack Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't decided what they are going to 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-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a year full of highlights in 2026. They went 50-45 in the first half of the season and now find themselves in wild card contention and also watched one of their own become the first Cardinal to win a Home Run Derby in Jordan Walker.

But the second half of the season now beckons, and so does the trade deadline. Chaim Bloom finds himself in an interesting position. He doesn't want to shift away from the long-term goals, but St. Louis finds itself in contention.

Katie Woo of The Athletic outlined what it could look like for St. Louis.

"The Cardinals are unsure of their direction," Woo wrote. "Bloom will not veer from his long-term plans, but if his team remains competitive up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, he could make incremental improvements that won’t interfere with the big picture. That could mean competitive baseball returning to St. Louis much sooner than first believed."

How Chaim Bloom could attack trade deadline

Jul 8, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) reacts after hitting a one run double against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bloom has constantly stated that he does not want to take shortcuts to make St. Louis a better team in the immediate future if it means sacrificing part of the long-term plan. For this reason, it seems more likely that the Cardinals will sell rather than buy at the deadline.

However, an argument could be made for them to do some adding if they keep their heads above water in the second half. They do have a lot of tradable pieces this year and could get a lot for somebody like Riley O'Brien or Dustin May.

But the Cardinals are playing better baseball than expected, so their rebuild could last much shorter than originally anticipated. One thing that is clear is that Bloom isn't going to make any blockbuster deals to improve the team. Owner Bill DeWitt Jr. also confirmed that they aren't going to be chasing rental players.

But it will still be an interesting trade deadline for St. Louis, as the direction is not clear. But fans seem to trust that Bloom will make the right decision for the future of the organization rather than sacrifice pieces just to make the team better for 2026.

There will be tough decisions to make. Bloom has helped lead the Cardinals to much better results this season, so perhaps some incremental buying, as long as it's not for a rental could be in the cards.