Iván Herrera Trade Buzz Isn't Worth Cardinals' Attention At All

There are two weeks to go until the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline and the St. Louis Cardinals are 51-47 on the season and in third place in the National League Central.

The Cardinals haven't kicked off the second half of the season as they hoped. St. Louis opened the second half with a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, but followed up with back-to-back losses afterward. Overall, the Cardinals have lost six of their last 10 games, but they actually would be in the playoffs if the season were to end today. The Cardinals would have the No. 3 National League Wild Card spot.

This is a good summation of why the next two weeks are going to be complicated for St. Louis. The Cardinals are a few games above .500 and have a playoff spot, but they aren't hot right now and without an addition — specifically for the starting rotation — it's hard to imagine that this club will contend with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers. So, what should the Cardinals do at the deadline? Chaim Bloom is going to have to make that decision. The easiest option would be trading pending free agents, but not guys under team control who could help the team beyond 2026.

There have been a handful of names out there who have been talked about as trade candidates, including Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, and more. The Cardinals are still in contention for a playoff spot, so trading a guy like Lars Nootbaar arguably shouldn't be considered this summer, unless the Cardinals are blown away. They could go back to that conversation in the summer. On the same vein, MLB.com's Mike Petriello floated catcher/designated hitter Iván Herrera as a potential trade chip, but that's absolutely not a move St. Louis should make.

The Cardinals Absolutely Shouldn't Trade Iván Herrera

Jun 17, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Iván Herrera (48) runs to second base against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"DH Iván Herrera, Cardinals (rest-of-season projection: 124 wRC+)," Petriello wrote. "Herrera would be the prize of the Deadline hitting crop … if he’s available … which he probably won’t be, given how successful the Cardinals have been, and that he’s an above-average-hitting 26-year-old under contract for three more seasons after this one. But we’re listing him here for a few reasons, none more prominent than the fact that while the Cardinals are indeed in the race, they’re still not viewed as a go-all-in-for-it-right-now roster."

Sure, Herrera would likely bring a massive return to town and the Cardinals have a lot of catching depth. But Pedro Pagés hasn't hit well this season and Jimmy Crooks hasn't gotten his bat going since his promotion. The Cardinals have elite catching prospects down in the minors still in Rainiel Rodriguez and Leo Bernal. But Rodriguez is 19 years old and in Double-A. He isn't likely to make the jump to the big leagues any time soon. Bernal is in Triple-A, but hasn't played in a big league game yet either. What if you trade Herrera and then the catching prospects struggle offensively, like Crooks has so far this season?

Herrera is 26 years old and earned his first All-Star nod this season. He has been able to stay healthy this season and has been one of the team's most consistent offensive weapons. Plus, he has three more seasons of team control.

There is absolutely no reason to trade him right now. The story of the 2026 season has been development and giving the young guys opportunities to show what they can do. Fortunately, that has led to more wins than expected. There is absolutely no reason to trade a core piece mid-season with as much team control left as Herrera has. If the Cardinals are going to trade guys away, pending free agents should be the extent.

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