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ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on from the dugout during a game against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Busch Stadium on March 30, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of Major League Baseball’s biggest surprises this season. They made four big trades in the offseason to kick off their rebuild, but they have found a way to contend while rebuilding in 2026, leading to a much more enjoyable summer for their fanbase.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, the current roster isn’t built to win the World Series. They have a few options to consider at the trade deadline, but as currently constructed, this is not a World Series contender.

However, many around the industry expect the Cardinals to be buyers at the trade deadline despite their rebuild. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman as a potential trade candidate and had St. Louis as a possible destination.

“The Giants are in full-on sell mode, prepared to take offers on their high-priced players, including Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers. Chapman, who is owed $100 million over the next four years, is the most likely of the trio to be moved, as he remains an above-average glove at third base while also producing offensively (7 HR, 41 RBIs, .737 OPS in 73 games),” Feinsand wrote.

Chapman Move Unlikely for Cardinals

Chapman would certainly make the Cardinals better offensively and give them a solid third baseman that can hit for power and play elite defense. They are missing that with Nolan Arenado gone.

However, given where the Cardinals are right now as an organization, this is a move that is highly unlikely. The Cardinals won’t give up the prospects it will take to land somebody like Chapman, and the Giants are certainly going to be asking for a lot in return.

The Cardinals still seem to be focused on their rebuild, and buying big would go against everything Chaim Bloom has preached about getting the organization back to where it needs to be.

“Our top priority will be to build our talent base for the long-term,” Bloom said in his introductory press conference last October. “That may mean hard decisions and short-term sacrifices. But to get where we want to go, we can’t take shortcuts—and we won’t.”

Trading for Chapman and parting with top prospects would be a shortcut to making the Cardinals a good team for the present, but not for the future.

Bloom has talked about prioritizing player development over splurging, and that will likely remain the focus, even if the Cardinals don’t sell at the trade deadline.

Cardinals Possible Paths

Because the Cardinals have a few players on expiring contracts, selling makes sense. However, if they remain in the mix, they could potentially leave the roster as it is and not make any moves.

Buying at the deadline is unlikely, unless the moves they make are minimal upgrades, and even then, if they want to build their talent base for the future, that may not be in their best interests.

So, selling or standing pat seem to be the most likely options, but that would seemingly eliminate any chance of them trying for somebody like Chapman.