These 4 St. Louis Cardinals Aren't Going Anywhere in 2026

There are pieces that the St. Louis Cardinals shouldn't move in 2026.

Mar 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Nolan Gorman (16) hits a one run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals look like a team that is going to make some noise all throughout the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

St. Louis isn't a fluke. Every time the club has had a test so far this season, the club has been able to ace it. Now, the Cardinals are 23-17 on the season, just about a quarter of the way through the season. Now, of course, there are three quarters of the season left to go in the campaign. The Cardinals still have 122 games left to play.

The Cardinals are in an intriguing spot. This is a club that traded off four veterans this past offseason and yet the club is even better on paper right now. But Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom already has alluded to the idea that the club's plan for the season hasn't changed. So, don't expect to see any big additions coming to town. The Cardinals are taking their time with this rebuild period, and it's for the best. The Cardinals don't need to swing hard in either direction. The team is good as it is. You don't need to blow things up and have a fire sale. You also don't need to go out and swing a blockbuster deal and trade prospects away in the process. For St. Louis, arguably the best-case scenario would be trading a couple of veterans away, without completely overhauling the flow of the season.

We've already broken down six guys who could be off the roster by the trade deadline — either by way of a trade or simply being sent down to the minors. Here are four guys who still should be in town beyond the trade deadline.

Riley O'Brien

May 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) delivers during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Riley O'Brien has been lights-out for the Cardinals so far this season. He has a 2.84 ERA in 19 total appearances while also racking up 11 saves. What makes him stand apart from someone, like JoJo Romero, is the fact that he's under team control for four more seasons.

The Cardinals already look like a threat in the National League and this is just the beginning of this reset period. If they keep playing like this, it won't be long before they are contending again. It certainly should be over these next four seasons. The Cardinals have this guy under team control on a cheap deal. St. Louis can build the bullpen out from him, rather than blowing it up.

Nolan Gorman

Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Gorman needs to find a way to be more consistent offensively for the Cardinals. Right now, he's slashing .218/.287/.361 with five homers and 22 RBIs. But he has been excellent defensively so far this season. Plus he certainly doesn't have a lot of trade value right now with his offense sputtering. He has two seasons of control left and it certainly seems more likely that the Cardinals will try to fix his bat, rather than giving up on him now.

George Soriano

Apr 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher George Soriano (65) throws pitch against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The Cardinals found a diamond in the rough in Soriano this past offseason. He has been excellent for the Cardinals so far this season and has a 3.18 ERA in 18 appearances along with 15 strikeouts. He's also under team control through the 2030 season. Soriano very well may be another bullpen piece to help this club for the next few years.

Dustin May

May 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Admittedly, this is the boldest call of the group. May was signed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season. The mutual option is for $20 million and that certainly won't be picked up. Since May was signed, the chatter has been about what the club could get for him ahead of the trade deadline. But what if there is a world where these two sides simply work out an extension or something of that nature and May is a part of this reset, rather than a trade chip? May is just 28 years old and has a 4.85 ERA so far in eight starts. He has gotten better as the season has gone on. There are reasons to believe that it would be worth it to find a way to keep this guy around.