I would say more than most other seasons, this particular deadline week is inundated with teams who could either be a buyer or a seller. Because the middle of the pack this year seems to dominate the conversation, only a few teams really are in position to feasibly buy or sell, and even so, the top and bottom teams might not even be the most crucial players. I don't think the Dodgers are going to do much this deadline season. People keep linking them to Skubal, but that might just be in free agency. Similarly, I don't think the Rockies will be as picked at as people seem to think. I think the middle teams have the most to gain...but too many of them are still noncommittal on whether or not it's worth it to make a run this year.
Genuinely, like half the league is in this conundrum right now. The Pirates, Orioles, Marlins, Blue Jays, Nationals, Astros, Padres, D-Backs, Twins, Tigers and Cardinals are all unsure of the direction of the next two months. That's 11 teams. That's...a lot. All still undecided, all still up in the air.
The Cardinals have been one of the most fascinating teams of this season, because on a number of levels they have cracked what's baffled them to this point. J.J. Wetherholt and Jordan Walker have lived up to expectations and are leading this team into their next era. Alec Burleson's having an extremely effective year as an all-around hitter. The rotation, despite being mostly anonymous, is holding things together, with Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante all working on nice seasons. Defensively this team has its stuff together on a number of levels. However...there isn't terribly much to this team, still. Blaze Jordan was brought in to be the surefire hit at third that Nolan Gorman wasn't, and he's sort of doing a lot of the same things. There's still not much bench depth, there's barely contact infrastructure [the team's hitting .239, and the bullpen is mostly perfunctory really, barring a star turn from Riley O'Brien. This is a very okay team with a bunch of very good pieces.
Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals have come back to earth a great deal, with a 3-9 record, bringing them below .500 and to fourth place again. With the Cubs in town, who have a ton more momentum currently, the Cardinals aren't looking like they'd be wise in buying at this rate. But that's never stopped them before. On many occasions the Cardinals have taken on smaller pieces and have opted to be a spoiler in case a wild card spot surfaces, and that mentality got them Jordan Montgomery at the deadline a few years ago. They're also one of those teams that never thinks they're out of it until it's impossible to think otherwise. They may still buy, as a way of using the additions as a springboard to make an okay team great, which is...not how I think trade deadline acquisitions should work, they should supplant great teams, not make teams competitors singlehandedly.
Who knows, the Cardinals could go for Skubal or Volpe or somebody huge. Or, they could decide to unload some small stuff and focus on 2027, as they should do. But we've established that the Cardinals aren't very good at doing what I want them to.
Coming Tomorrow- One of the few people still trying on a team that's basically given up.
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