The St. Louis Cardinals have exceeded expectations throughout the 2026 season, remaining firmly in the National League Wild Card race despite entering the year with modest expectations. While many believed the organization would spend the season evaluating young talent and focusing on its long-term future, St. Louis has stayed competitive thanks to several breakout performances across the roster.
Even with the club sitting just 2.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s final Wild Card berth as of July 29, the Cardinals are not expected to abandon their long-term strategy before the MLB trade deadline.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo, St. Louis remains willing to move two veteran pitchers on expiring contracts rather than shifting into an aggressive buying mode.
“When the St. Louis Cardinals signed Dustin May and Ryne Stanek over the offseason, they expected both veteran arms to help keep the team afloat in the first half,” the reporters wrote. “They also knew that with experienced starting and relief pitching always coveted at the deadline, they could easily flip both May and Stanek.”
That approach reportedly remains unchanged despite the team’s surprising position in the playoff race.
“That’s the plan for St. Louis, per multiple team sources briefed on the club’s thinking but granted anonymity to speak freely,” The Athletic reported.
The report added that the Cardinals have no intention of straying from the long-term vision established by president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
“Despite a surprisingly competitive first half, the Cardinals aren’t looking to deviate from president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom’s long-term outlook, which projects late 2027 or early 2028 as the team’s next competitive window.”
Moving May and Stanek would allow the Cardinals to continue adding future assets while remaining committed to their rebuilding timeline, even if it means parting with contributors during an unexpected postseason chase.
May, who joined St. Louis on a one-year contract before the season, has posted a 4.59 ERA across 20 starts. Although his numbers have been inconsistent, the former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander brings valuable postseason experience that could appeal to contenders searching for rotation depth.
Stanek, also on a one-year deal, has served as a key bullpen arm this season. The veteran right-hander owns a 4.46 ERA over 40.1 innings and has been particularly effective against left-handed hitters, limiting them to a .685 OPS. His ability to handle high-leverage situations could make him an attractive option for playoff hopefuls looking to strengthen their relief corps before the deadline.
