Cardinals Red-Hot Start Doesn’t Change These 4 Trade Candidates

The St. Louis Cardinals have looked really good so far this season.

It's just been a week, but the young Cardinals are 4-2 on the season so far and are just one game behind the 5-1 Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals, who pretty much everyone predicted to be very bad in 2026, have gotten off to a better start to the season than the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the division alone. St. Louis' 4-2 record is better than a lot of other teams, including the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners, to name a few.

Now, of course, this sample size is just one week. There's a lot of season left to go. In a perfect world, the Cardinals will continue this level of play throughout the entire season and shock everyone by making the playoffs.

Even if that is the case, the Cardinals still should stay the course. The Cardinals spent the offseason adding prospects by trading pieces away. As this season continues, St. Louis should still be looking for ways to do so, without totally disrupting the big league club.

With that being said, here are four trade candidates to follow throughout the season.

Lars Nootbaar — Outfielder

Aug 31, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) high fives teammates after scoring on a sacrifice fly out hit by designated hitter Ivan Herrera (not pictured) in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Nootbaar is the most obvious trade candidate on this team right now. Right now, he's on the 60-Day Injured List and the Cardinals have been able to fill in for him in left field. The trio of Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese and José Fermín made the team out of camp to help in left field. Nelson Velázquez should help in left field at some point. All of this is to say, the Cardinals have seen what they can do without Nootbaar. If there's a team out there that would pay a solid prospect price, St. Louis should be willing to deal.

JoJo Romero — Relief Pitcher

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher JoJo Romero throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Romero has made four appearances so far this season and hasn't allowed a run yet. He has been great and was great in 2025. The Cardinals have enough bullpen depth that when the deadline comes around, if a club is willing to make a big offer, St. Louis should take it. Romero is going to be a free agent after the season and is pitching his way to a nice deal.

Dustin May — Starting Pitcher

Mar 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

May is another obvious one. He signed a one-year deal with St. Louis with a mutual option for the 2027 season. His first start wasn't great, but if he can stay healthy, there will be a contender out there that will be interesting. If the Cardinals trade him eventually, they could easily shift someone like Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins or maybe even a prospect like Quinn Mathews or Liam Doyle into the spot.

Ryne Stanek — Relief Pitcher

Mar 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) reacts after striking out Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Richie Palacios (not pictured) and closing out the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Stanek was another offseason addition for the Cardinals. He's a veteran and could relief pitching has a high price at the trade deadline. If he's pitching well at that point, the Cardinals absolutely should look for a return.