The St. Louis Cardinals are approaching the first year of their rebuild under Chaim Bloom. But even after trading away Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, they still made sure to add some pieces to their roster.
Back in December, they signed veteran right-hander Dustin May to a one-year, $12.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2027. However, the Cardinals are still not expected to contend.
The trade deadline is still months away, but all signs point to the Cardinals being sellers rather than buyers in July. Former Cardinals All-Star Lance Lynn predicted that at the deadline, May will be part of their sale.
“(Dustin) May is going to be gone at the trade deadline if he’s doing anything that he’s supposed to be doing,” Lynn said. “That’s kind of the thought of the signing.”
St. Louis Cardinals Predicted to Trade Dustin May
May spent the 2025 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, going 7-11 with a 4.96 ERA in 23 starts and two relief appearances. He has dealt with injuries over the past few seasons, but the Cardinals are banking on him bouncing back and returning to his old form before the injuries took their toll.
If he can stay healthy, he could be a major X-factor for the starting rotation. That said, his price will likely go up if the Cardinals are out of contention. In that case, trading him makes a lot of sense because the Cardinals can land some intriguing prospects at the deadline, which would set them up well for the future.
The Cardinals have not made it to the postseason since their 93-win season in 2022. They have finished under the .500 mark twice in the last three years, so there isn’t a lot of reason for optimism in terms of the 2026 season.
However, that can change at the trade deadline, even if they are struggling, as they can continue to stockpile promising young prospects and strengthen their farm system.
The focus is going to be on the future for St. Louis rather than the present. As currently constructed, this is not a team capable of winning its 12th World Series title and won’t be for several more years.
But taking a chance on a high-upside arm like May was an important decision made by Chaim Bloom, and it gives the Cardinals a very valuable trade chip.
May Makes Sense as Trade Chip
If he can stay healthy and produces the way he once did with the Dodgers, the Cardinals could bring back a strong haul for May. Bloom already brought back a lot of promising young pieces for the trade chips the Cardinals previously had, but the whole point of the signing is to flip May to a contender at the deadline and capitalize on his value before he hits free agency again.
It should be interesting to see where the Cardinals are by the deadline, but the expectation is that they will be out of contention by then. The only way May stays with St. Louis past the deadline is if the Cardinals outperform their expectations.
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