One Unexpected Cardinals Trade Could Change Everything at the Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals could shake up the deadline.

Jul 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals fell back below the .500 mark with an excruciating loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, and now head north of the border to face the struggling Toronto Blue Jays with just days to go before the trade deadline.

The Cardinals have already made clear that they are shopping Dustin May and Ryne Stanek, both of whom are pitchers on expiring contracts. But those aren't their only trade chips. Another pitcher they could potentially move is Riley O'Brien, who has four years remaining on his contract.

This is the type of deal that could shake things up at the trade deadline and change everything.

Possible Riley O'Brien trade could shake up deadline

Jul 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) pitches during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals don't often trade players with years of control at the deadline, but O'Brien is already 31 years old, and relievers can be volatile. And if he is on the block, that's one extra reliever that a contending team could target beyond just the rental options.

At the same time, the Cardinals could bring back a decent return for O'Brien, one that could include a top 30 prospect or two, and while that would weaken the bullpen for the rest of 2026, it would also set St. Louis up quite well for the future.

O'Brien's years of control are what makes him a wild card at this year's deadline. The Cardinals don't necessarily have to trade him, but doing so would be appropriate given that they are rebuilding rather than trying to contend in 2026.

A team that does acquire O'Brien could potentially have a very strong back end of their bullpen and could even use him as a setup man rather than a closer.

But if he ends up on the block, there could be a lot of competition between contending teams and even a bidding war over who offers St. Louis the best package.

There are a lot of ways the Cardinals can go at the deadline, but trading O'Brien would shake things up and allow them to recoup a lot of value. His value is likely never going to be as high as it is right now, so it's something they might want to at least consider.

We'll see where things stand on Monday. Again, the Cardinals don't necessarily have to trade him, but it might not be a bad idea to at least consider as they focus on the future.