Inside The Cardinals

Yankees-Cardinals Blockbuster? Why Trade Deadline Deal Makes Sense

The Yankees could pluck a valuable piece from the Cardinals...
Zach Pressnell|
Jun 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Phil Maton (88) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Jun 24, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Phil Maton (88) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Yankees

The St. Louis Cardinals have been through the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows this season. Unfortunately for the Cardinals faithful, the lowest of the lows is happening at the worst possible time.

The Cardinals have lost 11 of their last 15 games and sit just two games over .500 with under two weeks to go before the trade deadline.

Because of this losing stretch, paired with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs dominating the division, the Cardinals could be forced to wave the white flag on the season and enter sell mode.

If that's going to be the case, reliever Phil Maton will almost certainly land on the trade block, which might seem as a surprise considering the Cardinals were the only team in baseball to offer him a contract before the year.

The New York Yankees are bound to be aggressive buyers at the deadline and could target affordable bullpen help. The Bronx Bombers don't need a closer like Ryan Helsley considering they have Devin Williams and Luke Weaver on the roster, but adding Maton could boost their bullpen quite a bit.

On the season, Maton has made 37 appearances and tossed 35 1/3 innings for St. Louis. In that time, he holds a 2.55 ERA, 2.52 FIP, and impressive 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He's generating a lot of swings and misses while limiting hard contact.

The Yankees could part ways with one or two mid level prospects to bring Maton in for the rest of the season. It would be a move that helps them make a World Series push in the coming months. For the Cardinals, trading Maton would be much more beneficial than holding him and losing the righty in free agency at the end of the year.

More MLB: Cardinals Blockbuster? Why Ryan Helsley-Dodgers Trade Makes Sense

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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