The St. Louis Cardinals made it official Monday: this season is about the future.
With the trade deadline approaching, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom continued the teardown that began in the offseason. The Cardinals shipped out three established big-leaguers — right-hander Dustin May, left-hander JoJo Romero and outfielder Lars Nootbaar — and brought back four prospects and a veteran lefty reliever. The moves aligned with a club sitting at 56-57 and more than 13 games out of first place in the National League Central.
The centerpiece deal sent May and Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfield prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale. May, signed last winter to a one-year contract with the clear intention of being moved, went 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts. Romero, a reliable left-handed specialist, was on the injured list after an appendectomy but was expected to return in time for a postseason push.
In return, the Cardinals received two young outfielders who fit the timeline of a rebuild. Frias, an 18-year-old left-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic, has generated significant buzz with his bat speed and raw power. He posted elite exit velocities, including balls hit as hard as 117 mph, and dominated the Arizona Complex League before a promotion to Single-A. Multiple evaluators ranked him among the better young players moved at this deadline.
Ragsdale, 22, is closer to the majors. The 2025 seventh-round pick has broken out this season, hitting .316 with 19 home runs and 31 stolen bases across High-A and Double-A while posting a 1.022 OPS. His combination of speed, improving power and plate discipline gives the Cardinals another athletic piece in the upper levels of the system.
Later in the day, Bloom dealt Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander Daniel Eagen, left-hander Sandro Santana and a player to be named later. Nootbaar, under club control through 2027, never fully established himself as an everyday player despite stretches of strong play and defensive versatility. His departure creates more opportunity in the outfield for younger talent.
Eagen, 23, ranked among Arizona’s top prospects. The 6-foot-4 right-hander features a mid-90s fastball and two breaking balls that miss bats. He compiled strong strikeout numbers at Double-A this season despite pitching in a difficult environment. Santana, 21, has shown swing-and-miss ability with an effective slider and posted excellent numbers after a midseason promotion.
In a low-cost addition, the Cardinals acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Cincinnati Reds for $250,000 in international bonus pool space. Ferguson provides experienced depth in the bullpen after Romero’s departure.
Bloom’s first trade deadline as the Cardinals’ top baseball executive stayed true to the plan he outlined upon his arrival. The organization is prioritizing controllable talent and long-term roster construction over attempting to force a wild-card push that had grown increasingly unlikely. The returns — two high-upside outfielders and two strikeout-oriented pitchers — strengthen a farm system that needed reinforcements.
Whether these deals ultimately prove successful will take years to determine. For now, the Cardinals have cleanly shifted their focus. The remaining weeks of the season will offer more looks at the younger players already on the roster and a first evaluation of the new talent headed into the organization.
