The St. Louis Cardinals have been a very interesting team this season. They were supposed to be rebuilding in 2026, but they have played their way to the top of the National League wild card standings. Now, they have some tough decisions to make at the trade deadline.
The current roster is set up better to sell than to buy this year, but if the Cardinals are in contention, it would be difficult for them to justify selling. The Cardinals have a lot of interesting trade chips if they decide to sell though.
One of them is closer Riley O’Brien. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed O’Brien as a potential trade chip whose stock is rising with the deadline approaching.
“A successful reliever with four years of club control would seem to be exactly the player a young team would want to hold on to, but O’Brien is already 31 years old and his value is as high as it’s ever been,” Feinsand wrote. “St. Louis’ surprising season has the Cards in playoff position, so selling off their closer might be a difficult decision, but given that this was viewed by many as a transition year for the Cardinals, capitalizing on O’Brien’s strong performance (3.68 ERA, 17-for-21 in save opportunities) could be the right move. The hard-throwing O’Brien has been a ground-ball machine (93rd percentile in the league) while ranking in the 89th percentile in walk percentage.”
Riley O’Brien’s Stock is Rising
While he isn’t quite having the season that Ryan Helsley had back in 2024, his value is still high, and since contending teams tend to overpay for relievers, even rentals, O’Brien actually does make sense as a trade candidate, even if the Cardinals are in contention.
While it would be tough to justify selling, they might be wise to make an exception for O’Brien, given that relievers are volatile. They made the mistake of holding onto Helsley while his value was high and ultimately didn’t get much in return.
But O’Brien has a high-octane fastball that can touch 100 mph, and if the Cardinals do entertain offers for him, there could be a bidding war for him, and that would allow the Cardinals to bring back a haul of prospects, which could strengthen the farm system for years to come, especially if they target young pitching.
There is a lot to like about what O’Brien could bring St. Louis in return if he is traded, so that should be an interesting story to follow at the trade deadline.
What Will Cardinals Do?
If the Cardinals remain in playoff position, selling may no longer be an option, but buying may not be their best approach either. They could potentially choose to stand pat and let the season play out.
However, it also might be hard to resist trading O’Brien if the Cardinals get the right offer for him. Even if they stay in contention, it might not be the worst idea to make O’Brien available and see what teams are willing to offer them in exchange.
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