After a 14-19 start to the season, the Cardinals have all of the sudden gone on an unexpected surge that also has led them to unexpected, but familiar territory.
A nine-game winning streak put them back on the map, and after dropping the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Phillies, they rallied from behind to take the nightcap, and as a result, the series.
Before the season started, I discussed in a piece what things might look like if the Cardinals surprise us. It’s too early to know if this team is legit, and they still have a tough schedule ahead. However, they have been better than what we all thought they’d be, which is nice.
The biggest question is this: What does this mean for the trade deadline?
Obviously, if you’re in contention, you’re typically going to be a buyer rather than a seller. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve come to realize that buying might make sense for this team.
But let’s assume that they’re buyers for a minute. What will that look like? Who will they target, and what are their needs?
Right now, everything is clicking, so it’s tough to pinpoint a need with this team, so we’ll have to let the season play out a bit to truly see. Injuries could occur and create needs.
There are actually ways the Cardinals can buy and stay true to their reset. But if they are buyers this year, they need to stray from their usual path.
The path that they’ve been taking the past several years, with the exception of 2023 is acquiring aging veterans on expiring contracts that they were able to buy low on. This year, that won’t be enough. Aging veterans won’t move the needle, and they’ll take up roster space, which could in turn block younger players.
So, how do the Cardinals buy without going for veteran pieces? Well, the short answer is that they could buy big, but recent history suggests that they won’t do that. John Mozeliak hasn’t really taken big swings at the deadline since he went after John Lackey in 2014.
Instead, the Cardinals should go for younger pieces, or guys that can be a part of this team’s future and allow them to stay true to the process. I’m not necessarily saying they should go for prospects, but I am saying that they should stray away from their prior path.
This will be hard, especially because this year, it’s shaping up to be a seller’s market. But to get young pieces, they would have to trade certain players. They can do this by making buyer-to-buyer trades. Instead of looking for teams selling off their assets, look for a contending team that needs something you have and vice versa. Then, you can simply make a swap that benefits both sides.
A perfect example of this would be the 2022 trade the Cardinals made with the Phillies to get JoJo Romero. They sent Edmundo Sosa to Philadelphia, and the deal has worked out quite well for both sides. Both Sosa and Romero were blocked with their old teams before the deal was made. Philadelphia needed a utility man, and the Cardinals needed pitching, so it was the perfect match.
This year, Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker are struggling. I hate to say it, but their runway can only last so long before the Cardinals decide to move on from them. The system is short on pitching due to recent injuries in the minors. They could always use another arm, possibly for the rotation and the bullpen.
The Dodgers are a team that may need help at third base and in the outfield. Gorman and Walker, two prospects that likely need a change of scenery, could fill both roles. So, they could trade one of those players to the Dodgers for one of their young pitchers. Somebody like Bobby Miller, who could also need a change of scenery, may be someone the Cardinals would show interest in if they’re trying to boost their staff, as he is somewhat blocked in the Dodgers system. The Dodgers also have a strong bullpen, and could potentially afford to give up somebody like Ben Casparius.
These are all just hypothetical scenarios, but I would rather the Cardinals do this type of buying than the usual picking up of aging players. I know it sounds crazy, but they need to think about the future more than anything else.
Now, if that type of deal is not available, I still don’t want them to add any aging veterans. It would honestly be better to just stand pat and let the young guys ride the rest of the way. But if those types of deals are available, that’s what I want the Cardinals doing.