Cardinals Insider Expresses Concern Over Playoff Race After Rafael Devers Trade

Things just got a little bit tougher for the Cardinals.

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are slumping. With a 3-2 loss on Father's Day to the Milwaukee Brewers, they fell to 37-35 and dropped to seven games back of first place in the National League Central.

They also are now in a third-place tie with the Cincinnati Reds, though they are still only 2 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race.

Even so, the Wild Card race is packed with strong teams, many of whom are ahead of the Cardinals. The team leading the race, the San Francisco Giants, recently picked up Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox.

Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN pointed out that things may have just gotten a lot tougher for St. Louis.

"The Giants acquiring a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat fills one of their biggest potential needs," Kiley posted on X.

"The Phillies, Giants & Padres are all at least 3 games up on the Cardinals in the Wild Card race. Finding a spot in the playoffs for the Cards just got that much tougher."

Indeed, the road is going to be much more difficult for the Cardinals going forward. They are within striking distance, but the Giants may now be able to drop the hammer on the rest of the Wild Card race now that they have the middle-of-the-order bat they needed.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are starting to slump in almost every area, and they don't have the prospects to make a big splash such as this. We'll see how this seismic shift affects the Cardinals.

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