The Case For and Against Cardinals Trading Riley O'Brien

The St. Louis Cardinals have some important decisions to make leading up to the trade deadline. They appear likely to sell rather than buy or stand pat, and their roster is full of interesting trade chips.

The most obvious one is right-hander Dustin May, who is on an expiring contract. However, he is not the only one that could bring back a good return.

One that isn't being talked about much is closer Riley O'Brien. The right-hander owns a 3.82 ERA and has recorded 21 saves thus far. Brian Murphy of MLB.com listed him as one of the top relievers that could be moved, but does it actually make sense to move him?

The Case For Trading O'Brien

Jun 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0, left) congratulates St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) after the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

O'Brien has four years of club control left, so that alone makes him a good trade chip. He also can reach 100 mph with his fastball.

Relievers are often volatile, and just because they have dominant stretches does not mean they will last, so this may be O'Brien at his peak. If that's the case, it makes sense to move him because the Cardinals can get a good return for him. It likely won't be quite as much as it could have been given that O'Brien has had some rough stretches this season, but teams often overpay for rental relievers, so a team could potentially over pay for O'Brien given that he has four years left on his contract after 2026.

O'Brien emerged as the Cardinals closer last season after they traded Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets. O'Brien has a strong arsenal as a closer, which teams could be driven towards. If there is a bidding war, the Cardinals have a lot of leverage.

The Case Against A Riley O'Brien Trade

There is also a world in which the Cardinals could keep O'Brien. The most likely scenario for that would be if they are not getting good enough offers for him. There is always a chance that teams are unwilling to pay the price the Cardinals could be asking for.

In that case, keeping him around and potentially waiting until the offseason to trade him might not be the worst idea. Despite where they are in the standings, the Cardinals are still rebuilding and need to stay focused on the future, but they shouldn't just rush into trading O'Brien just because they want to move him. They need to make sure that they're getting good offers for him.

Add us as a preferred source on Google