Sports

Cardinals-Casey Mize trade buzz comes with 1 big problem

St. Louis Cardinals On SI · Jul 22, 2026 18:51 · 3 min read

The St. Louis Cardinals' rotation isn't in a good place, but that doesn't mean a splash is coming.

The St. Louis Cardinals are dealing with some serious adversity right now with just 12 days to go until the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

St. Louis has lost four straight games and five of its last six contests. The Cardinals are now just two games above .500 at 51-49 and are a half-game out of a National League playoff spot. These next few days are going to have a big impact on whether the Cardinals sell off pieces, stay put, or look to add around the edges. The Cardinals have 11 games between now and the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Cardinals play that day against the New York Yankees and there's a real chance that things look a little different by then.

If the Cardinals can get hot and look to add, the obvious ways to do so would be a starter and a reliever. Both the rotation and the bullpen are hurting right now. Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May are cold right now and the bullpen is missing JoJo Romero, who is on the Injured List. On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel shared a column highlighting the top trade candidates ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. One thing that was interesting was the fact that Passan and McDaniel listed the Cardinals among the "best fits" for Detroit Tigers starter Casey Mize.

"No. 16. Casey Mize, RHP, Detroit Tigers," Passan and McDaniel wrote. "Chance of being traded: 60 percent. Rest-of-season impact: High if it continues to click. Years of control: Just the rest of 2026. The buzz: While Mize has twice hit the injured list with a strained groin, his most recent start illustrates why he'll be in high demand if Detroit decides to punt. ... Best fits: Braves, Padres, Cubs, Brewers, White Sox, A's, Cardinals, Rays, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays."

Should The Cardinals Make A Move?

This isn't the first time Passan and McDaniel linked Mize to the Cardinals this summer.

Mize is having a great year for the Tigers. He has made 15 starts and has a 2.79 ERA in 80 2/3 innings pitched. If he were on the Cardinals right now, he would have the best ERA in the starting rotation. Right now, Michael McGreevy is leading the staff with a 2.92 ERA. Him and Kyle Leahy are the only Cardinals starters with sub-4.00 ERAs.

The Cardinals' rotation clearly needs a boost if they want a legit shot at making a run at a playoff spot. But there's an issue here. St. Louis is in the first year of a reset under Chaim Bloom. The Cardinals outperformed expectations for much of the season so far, but are cold right now and are just two games above .500. Is that enough to go out and acquire a starter who is going to be a free agent after the season? Unlikely.

At the same time, the Tigers have started to gain some ground in the standings and aren't guaranteed to sell.

The Cardinals spent the offseason trying to bolster the farm system. To turn around and trade prospects away for a rental when a playoff spot isn't guaranteed seems like a risk that the club isn't likely to take. Bloom specifically saying the club isn't going to take "shortcuts" this season adds to that fact.

Multiple things can be true. On paper, Mize would improve the Cardinals' starting rotation and likely would give them the boost they need. That's why it makes sense that Passan and McDaniel mentioned the Cardinals as a fit. But with the Cardinals just two games above .500 right now, it just doesn't seem likely.