The St. Louis Cardinals are sitting at 47-40 with a Wild Card spot in their pocket. That puts the front office in a weird spot three weeks before the trade deadline. Do you buy? Do you sell? Do you just stand there?
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic appeared on “Foul Territory” and laid it out pretty clearly. The Cardinals are going to add pieces. But they’re not going wild.
“If you’re the President of Baseball Operations in your first full year, Chaim Bloom, what do you do? Well, you’ve got to honor what the team has done, what the players have performed with, how they’ve performed, and you’ve gotta go forward and say, ‘Okay, let’s see what happens over the next month,’” Rosenthal said. “If indeed the Cardinals continue playing this well, holding a playoff position, third Wild Card, then you at least have to try to add.”
So the plan is real. But there’s a catch.
No Big Splash Coming
Rosenthal didn’t name specific targets or positions. He just made it clear the Cardinals aren’t about to trade the future for a rental. “You’re not gonna blow up your farm system to go for it this year. They’re trying to build a perennial contender,” he said. “But you have to honor your players by going for a little bit. You have to honor your fans by saying, ‘We’re trying to win.’”
That “measured way” part is key. Fans hoping for a Juan Soto-level shocker should probably lower expectations. More likely, Bloom adds a bullpen arm or a platoon bat — something that helps now but doesn’t cost a top prospect.
July Is the Deciding Factor
How this plays out depends on the next few weeks. The Cardinals have a huge five-game set against the Brewers coming up, including a doubleheader on Tuesday. Then it’s three games against the Braves. After that, a three-game series with the Diamondbacks. If St. Louis holds its ground or gains ground, expect Bloom to get aggressive. In a measured way.
If the wheels fall off? Well, nobody’s talking about that yet. But July will tell the story either way.
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