Cardinals might trade 4.30 ERA right-hander for one reason

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 MLB season, as they've gone from a rebuilding club coming into the year to a Wild Card contender.

Breakout seasons from Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt have helped, but the pitching staff has also been a bit better than expected. One of those pitchers, 4.30 ERA right-hander Dustin May, is a one-year rental.

While the Cardinals might not be sellers right now, MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan revealed the one reason why May could be dealt this summer. It's very simple: if the Cardinals "start to fade," then a sell-off, with May as a key piece, is expected.

Cardinals might trade Dustin May if team 'fades'

"St. Louis' strong first half has made it more of a question whether the team will end up moving May," Harrigan writes. "However, if the team starts to fade before the Trade Deadline, we expect the right-hander to be dealt as president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom continues to lay the groundwork for the future in his first year at the helm."

The Cardinals might be 42-38 right now, just 0.5 game back in the NL Wild Card hunt, but it's very possible for things to collapse from now until late July.

If St. Louis fades, as Harrigan expects, May might be one of the first players to go in a trade this summer. Pitchers are always valuable commodities, and May, a right-handed starter with a decent track record, would certainly be a great trade target for clubs.

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He's 28 years old and is under contract this season with a 2027 mutual option that is unlikely to be picked up. Since he's likely an impending free agent, it would make sense for the Cardinals to trade him this season, even if they're a fringe contender.

He has a 4.30 ERA this season with a 5-6 record, and a mid-June start resulted in a complete game shutout of the San Diego Padres. But he allowed six runs in 2.0 innings to the Kansas City Royals in his next start.

Even if it's a little feast or famine for May, he's the kind of player contenders would love to add at the trade deadline. Starters like May are valuable, and if the Cardinals have struggled a bit by late July, they should take advantage of that trade value.

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