Cardinals fans want 4 players sent packing for blowing their lead in the NL Wild Card standings

The St. Louis Cardinals spent the entire first half of the MLB season defying the odds. They were a team many expected to finish in last place in the NL Central, yet they've been in a Wild Card spot virtually all year. Unfortunately, they've dropped three of their first four games to begin the second half, and are losing their grip on a Wild Card spot.

They're still very much alive in the race, entering Tuesday's action in a three-way tie for the third Wild Card spot in the NL, but they've lost nine of their last 13 games, showing real cracks at the worst time. The Cardinals' recent struggles could lead Chaim Bloom to consider selling at the trade deadline, and if frustrated St. Louis fans had it their way, these players would probably be gone.

RHP Dustin May

It looked like Dustin May had finally realized his potential and that the Cardinals had gotten an utter steal when the righty delivered a one-hit shutout in mid-June, but he has a 9.92 ERA in five starts since. Injuries have impacted him during this stretch, and he's allowed five runs or more three times in those five starts, completing five innings just once.

May isn't helping the Cardinals win games right now, and he's on an expiring contract. You can argue that, whether St. Louis is buying or selling at the deadline, he should be gone, as he isn't helping them win and he can potentially bring back a piece that can. The deadline market is looking like it'll favor sellers, and that's something the Cardinals should be eager to take advantage of.

RHP Ryne Stanek

Unlike May, Ryne Stanek has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Sure, he has a 4.70 ERA overall, but he has a 2.84 ERA in 28 appearances since the start of May. He has been a key set-up man in the Cardinals' bullpen, racking up 17 holds while blowing only three save opportunities.

With that being said, Stanek is far from flawless (opponents have a .789 OPS against him in high-leverage situations), and he could be a free agent after the year if the Cardinals reject his $3.5 million club option. He's hardly irreplaceable, and could net St. Louis something decent in return with how he's pitched of late — and with the fact that, again, there just aren't many sure sellers right now.

OF Nathan Church

Should the Cardinals trade Nathan Church? Probably not. But sending someone packing could also mean optioning them to the Minor Leagues, and at a certain point, that needs to be considered. While Church is certainly an offensive upgrade over Victor Scott II, he has a .643 OPS on the year and a .416 OPS in his last 23 games. He's hit .130 with a .155 on-base percentage in that span.

Church has not hit a lick in a while, and perhaps most frustratingly, he's occupying a spot that could easily be held by top prospect Joshua Baez. Sure, Baez is far from a perfect prospect, but he's hit 29 home runs in Triple-A and can conceivably give this team a boost. Whether they're buying or selling, Baez replacing Church in center field should happen sooner rather than later.

OF Lars Nootbaar

An outfielder the Cardinals should strongly consider trading, though, is Lars Nootbaar. A fan favorite who has done a lot of good things in St. Louis, trading Nootbaar is easier said than done, especially when the team is in the thick of a playoff race. But the long-term future of the organization should be considered here, and is Nootbaar really a part of it?

He's never been better than a slightly above-average hitter, he's never played in more than 135 games and he only has one more year of club control after this one. Prospects like Baez and Chase Davis are deserving of looks. If the Cardinals can extend him, fine, but if not, trading him now, when he can bring a good amount of value back to help St. Louis continue to build for the future, probably makes the most sense.

More MLB news and analysis:

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• This Red Sox-Angels trade for Zach Neto could help Boston win the AL pennant
• The definitive list of MLB trade deadline buyers and sellers, according to an MLB Insider
• Updated NL Cy Young rankings after Jacob Misiorowski shortened return for the Brewers
• These Blue Jays won't survive the trade deadline after Toronto's epic collapse

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Cardinals fans want 4 players sent packing for blowing their lead in the NL Wild Card standings.