What the Cardinals Got Right and Wrong at the Trade Deadline

Here is what St. Louis did well and what they could have done better at the trade deadline.

Jul 24, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The trade deadline has come and gone. The St. Louis were very productive at this year's deadline as sellers, trading Dustin May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers and Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In exchange, they brought back several promising prospects.

St. Louis is likely out of postseason contention and will not make it to October, especially after a rough month of July that saw them lose their grip on a wild card spot.

Now that the deadline has passed, it's time to evaluate how the Cardinals did. Here is what they did well and what they could have done better.

Cardinals got it right with prospect returns

Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jojo Romero (59) throws against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the deal with Milwaukee, St. Louis picked up outfielders Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale. They are now ranked the Cardinals' No.4 and No. 10 prospects, respectively. To land both of those players for rentals is nothing short of impressive, and it shows just how well Chaim Bloom has done in accumulating young talent.

St. Louis also landed right-hander Daniel Eagen and left-hander Sandro Santana in the Nootbaar deal. All four prospects acquired are in their top 30, and the farm system is looking much stronger now than it has in the past several years.

Cardinals were right to keep Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera

Aug 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a two run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just a few weeks before the deadline, rumors began to circulate about Ivan Herrera potentially being traded. He was in the middle of a terrible slump and was ultimately moved back in the Cardinals lineup.

With hours to spare on Monday, Alec Burleson's name popped up in trade rumors. Fortunately, St. Louis held on to both of them instead of trading them, and Burleson rewarded them by hitting three home runs against the New York Yankees.

Herrera was hitless on Monday, but his bat is simply too valuable to move. The Cardinals haven't developed a true threat from the right side of the plate since Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.

The Cardinals should have traded Ryne Stanek

Aug 2, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) reacts after getting the third out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since starting off the season slowly, Ryne Stanek has pitched much better this season. However, he is another reliever on an expiring contract, and the Cardinals could have potentially done well for him at the deadline.

While they did land a lot of important pieces, they also could have gotten some more if they had moved Stanek, who allowed two home runs on Monday night.

It may not be the worst thing, as Stanek does have an option for 2027 that the Cardinals could pick up, but the team is still rebuilding and could have potentially used some more prospects in exchange for the veteran right-hander.