The St. Louis Cardinals have watched their postseason hopes take a significant hit just days before the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline. After spending part of the summer in control of a National League Wild Card position, the club has stumbled into one of its worst stretches of the season, leaving the front office with difficult decisions about whether to buy, sell, or strike a balance between the two.
With time running out before the deadline, speculation continues to intensify around St. Louis. A disappointing skid has fueled growing expectations that the Cardinals could move veteran talent in exchange for future assets. However, while selling may now be the most logical direction, there remains one young cornerstone the organization simply cannot afford to part with.
The Cardinals enter the week at 53-53, sitting fourth in the National League Central and now 1½ games outside of a National League Wild Card spot. Only a few weeks ago, St. Louis occupied the league’s top Wild Card position. Since then, the club has fallen behind not only the current playoff teams but also two other clubs chasing postseason contention.
Recent performances have only strengthened the belief that the Cardinals are leaning toward becoming sellers. St. Louis has dropped eight of its last 10 games and owns a minus-five run differential on the season. As a result, trade rumors have shifted dramatically from potential additions to possible departures.
Even so, the Cardinals should avoid tearing apart the foundation they’ve built. One player who should remain completely off limits is catcher and designated hitter Iván Herrera.
Much of the recent trade speculation has centered on players such as JoJo Romero and Dustin May, while Herrera’s name has surfaced only occasionally through speculation rather than serious reports.
Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals’ front office face an unenviable task over the coming days. Should the organization decide to sell, several experienced veterans could follow others who departed during the previous offseason.
Moving a player like Herrera, however, would be a mistake unless it were part of a blockbuster deal for an established superstar. At just 26 years old, Herrera has already become one of the Cardinals’ most dangerous offensive players. Across 105 games this season, he has posted a .244/.365/.380 slash line with a .746 OPS, along with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. Replacing that level of production would be no easy task.
Herrera also earned the first All-Star selection of his career this season, further highlighting his growing importance to the franchise. His offensive upside has been evident for several years. Although injuries limited him in 2025, he remained one of the club’s most productive hitters. A year earlier, he broke onto the major league scene by batting .301 with five home runs and 27 RBIs in just 72 games. When healthy, few right-handed hitters have consistently produced at the level Herrera has.
Beyond his on-field value, trading away a young, controllable player who projects to be a long-term building block would send the wrong message throughout the organization. Unless he were included in a package that brought back a legitimate star, such a move would represent a significant setback for the Cardinals’ future.
The past few weeks have undoubtedly been frustrating for St. Louis, but the organization still has reasons to believe its long-term outlook remains bright. While the trade deadline may require difficult choices, keeping Herrera in Cardinal red should be one of the easiest decisions the front office makes.