Cardinals have one big problem with starting pitching trade deadline need

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Cardinals have one big problem with starting pitching trade deadline need originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The St. Louis Cardinals are having an incredible 2026 season compared to preseason expectations. This was meant to be a rebuilding year, and yet, the Cardinals are legitimate postseason contenders.

At 40-33, the Cardinals are 2.0 games up on the rest of the NL competition for the top Wild Card spot. While they're far from locked into a postseason spot right now, they're in good shape and could wind up as trade deadline buyers this season.

With starting pitching as their top need, the Cardinals will have some options. But, there's just one problem. As Eno Sarris of The Athletic highlighted, the Cardinals are not in the best spot organizationally to add pitching help this summer at the trade deadline.

Cardinals aren't in best spot to add SP help at trade deadline​

"Because they're in a different spot organizationally," Sarris writes. "This is a team that was supposed to be in transition, working to improve player development and draft processes so that the next great rotation in St. Louis can come from within."

That philosophy is normal for a rebuilding team. But in this situation for the Cardinals, who are in a postseason spot and could be buyers by the trade deadline this August, they're in a bit of a predicament.

It's hard to imagine Chaim Bloom investing their top prospects into veteran starting pitching this summer, especially those like Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, and all other rental starters.

Instead, the Cardinals might be more likely to add, if they do make a trade at all, a player who is under club control beyond the 2026 season.

MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency

Sandy Alcantara is under club control through 2027 and would make sense as a trade target to help in 2026 and 2027. Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano of the Los Angeles Angels are both under control through 2028, and would be great options too.

But those pitchers, under club control for more than just 2026, will be a lot more challenging to trade for this season than any rental.

It might just make more sense for the Cardinals to pass on all noteworthy additions this summer and focus on building a contender over the offseason instead.

Even though it's not very exciting, for the future of this franchise, being patient with this rebuild is the correct decision for Bloom and the team to make.

More MLB news:​

• 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for Cardinals
• Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
• Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GM
• Yankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution
• Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius

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