Here's How Cardinals 'Might Resist' Selling Before Upcoming Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't secure in the playoff standings but with the July 31 trade deadline less than two weeks away, the pressure is on for them to step up their game.

The Cardinals sit 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and 1 1/2 games out of an NL Wild Card spot, so St. Louis making the postseason this year remains possible.

Fortunately, the Cardinals might have a solid chance to commit to a playoff push and avoid selling before this summer's trade deadline.

"Of all the teams on this list, the one with the lowest expectations heading into this season might have been the Cardinals," MLB.com's Will Leitch wrote Thursday after including the Cardinals as one of the teams facing their most-crucial stretch before the trade deadline. "They added almost nothing this offseason (only reliever Phil Maton), and they spent most of their winter trying (and failing) to trade Nolan Arenado, their most popular player. The 2025 campaign was mostly thought to be a bridge to incoming president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, who will be taking over from John Mozeliak in 2026. But the Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise this year, riding a fantastic defense, a versatile bullpen and some timely hitting to a 51-46 record."

If the Cardinals decide to sell before the trade deadline, they could host a massive fire sale that might include Ryan Helsley, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, Maton and Arenado.

"It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals being aggressive buyers, even though there might not be a team in the race that needs starting pitching help more than they do," Leitch continued. "But if they can navigate a not-that-terrifying schedule heading into the Deadline (nine of their 13 games are against teams with losing records), they might resist being sellers. It still feels like 2026 is the primary focus here, though."

Leading up to this summer's trade deadline, the Cardinals will travel to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies and are scheduled to host the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium.

Of all the teams St. Louis will play over the next two weeks, the Padres are the only club with a solidified standing in the 2025 postseason race. Hopefully, the Cardinals will finish July on a winning streak. Otherwise, the franchise's chances of missing the playoffs for a third consecutive year could become a reality.

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