The 3 Most Likely Trade Deadline Paths for Chaim Bloom, Cardinals

The Cardinals have a choice to make.

Jul 27, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom talks with the media before a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are playing well, but it still is unclear what they will do at the trade deadline. The roster is built to sell with several players on expiring contracts, but that doesn't mean it's the only path they can take.

Teams can buy, sell, do a little of both, or even stand pat at the deadline. Based on where the Cardinals are right now and given Chaim Bloom's comments about not wanting to deviate from the plan, it would seem that strictly buying is highly unlikely.

However, the other three paths are possibilities. Here is a comprehensive look at which each strategy would look like and which one is ultimately the best.

Which strategy will Cardinals choose?

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-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Buy and sell

This is a strategy Bloom has employed before. Back in 2022, as head of the Boston Red Sox, he traded away Christian Vazquez and Jake Diekman while adding Tommy Pham, Eric Hosmer and Reese McGuire.

Unfortunately for Bloom, that didn't work out too well, and Boston was stuck in mediocrity, However, some light buying might make sense as long as the Cardinals sell off at least some players on expiring contracts. That wouldn't compromise their long-term plan and could get them some assets for the present and the future

Stand pat

This might not be terribly popular with the fans, but if the Cardinals are playing well, then it might make sense to just leave the roster the way it is. They are getting a lot out of their young players, and their next core is really coming into focus.

If the Cardinals are in the race, then it might be a good idea to keep the players they already have and not throw in the towel on the season, so long as they remain focused on the larger goal at hand.

Sell

This is probably the most likely outcome. The Cardinals don't have to completely dismantle their roster. They've already done that. However, teams will be making offers for players such as JoJo Romero, Dustin May and Riley O'Brien.

The Cardinals could get a lot for those players, and if the main goal is the future, then it makes sense to pick up as many future assets as possible at the deadline, and the best way to do that is to sell.

The future is still bright in St. Louis, but this is likely the best course of action for a team that has transitioned to its youth.