The St. Louis Cardinals were one of the more surprising stories in baseball over the first three months.

Although the Cardinals were universally expected to finish in the National League Central basement, they had a surprisingly strong start to the season. The Cardinals had a 44-38 record heading into July and were in the midst of the NL playoff hunt. However, a 9-16 record in July entering Wednesday has pushed the Cardinals below .500 and out of the postseason.

This recent slide may have also changed the Cardinals' direction ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are looking to sell, exploring deals for catcher Pedro Pages and pitchers Dustin May, Ryne Stanek and JoJo Romero. Goold also noted that the Cardinals are also willing to listen to offers on outfielder Lars Nootbaar and closer Riley O'Brien.

St. Louis Cardinals to continue selling process ahead of trade deadline

It is not a surprise that May is on the trade block. He had signed a one-year contract worth $12 million with a $20 million mutual option for 2027 during the offseason, making him a prime trade candidate for the rebuilding Cardinals. May has been solid this season, posting a 4.59 ERA and a 1.317 WHIP over his 104 innings, striking out 103 batters with 33 walks. His performance could be a matter of bad luck, as May has a .336 batting average on balls in play against.

Stanek and Romero would similarly be rental options. Stanek has posted a 4.46 ERA and a 1.438 WHIP over his 40.1 innings, but his high-octane fastball could be of interest for a team in need of more firepower in the bullpen. Romero has been a solid left-handed setup man, posting a 3.35 ERA and a 1.302 WHIP over his 43 innings, striking out 43 batters with 16 walks.

Nootbaar has one more year of team control beyond this season but may be outside the Cardinals' envisioned window of contention. He missed time at the beginning of the season due to heel surgery but posted a .243/.348/.371 batting line with three homers and seven doubles in his 164 plate appearances. Nootbaar's ability to play all three spots in the outfield and an additional year of team control could make him a target for teams looking to contend in 2027 as well.

While Pages and O'Brien are years away from arbitration, trading both could make sense for the Cardinals. Pages has respectable power and a strong arm behind the plate, but it also in an organization loaded with catchers. O'Brien built off of a strong showing in 2025 to become a solid closer, but his value may never be higher than it is now.