With the 2026 MLB trade deadline fast approaching, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves facing one of the most important decisions of their season. Once viewed as a surprise playoff contender after an impressive first half, the Cardinals have cooled off dramatically, leaving the front office to decide whether to remain in the postseason race or shift its focus toward the future.
St. Louis currently owns a 53-53 record and sits fourth in the National League Central. Although the Cardinals remain only 1½ games behind the final National League Wild Card spot, their recent form has significantly weakened their playoff position. Just a few weeks ago, the club occupied the league’s top Wild Card berth, but a disappointing stretch has pushed them outside the playoff picture, with multiple teams now standing between them and a postseason return.
The recent slide has been difficult to ignore. The Cardinals have dropped eight of their last ten games and carry a negative-five run differential on the season, fueling speculation that they could become sellers before the trade deadline rather than buyers. As rumors continue to swirl around the organization, several veterans have been mentioned as potential trade candidates.
However, one player the Cardinals should consider completely untouchable is catcher and designated hitter Iván Herrera.
While relievers such as JoJo Romero and starting pitcher Dustin May have frequently appeared in trade speculation, Herrera’s name has surfaced only occasionally. Even so, some analysts believe St. Louis should immediately dismiss any idea of moving the 26-year-old, viewing him instead as one of the franchise’s foundational players.
President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals’ front office have no shortage of difficult decisions ahead. If the organization ultimately chooses to sell, it’s expected that experienced veterans could be moved in exchange for future assets, continuing the roster reshaping that began during the previous offseason.
Trading Herrera, however, would send a completely different message.
Unlike veteran players nearing free agency, Herrera remains under team control and is entering the prime years of his career. Rather than serving as a trade chip, he represents exactly the type of young talent rebuilding teams typically try to build around.
Offensively, Herrera has become one of the Cardinals’ most dependable contributors. Through 105 games this season, he has produced a .244 batting average, a .365 on-base percentage, and a .380 slugging percentage while posting a respectable .746 OPS. He has also hit 12 home runs and driven in 44 runs, providing valuable middle-of-the-order production during a season in which the Cardinals’ offense has often struggled to find consistency.
His value extends well beyond this year’s numbers.
Herrera earned the first All-Star selection of his career in 2026, further cementing his status as one of the club’s emerging stars. His breakout has been years in the making.
During the 2025 season, Herrera showcased even greater offensive potential before injuries limited his overall production. The year before, despite appearing in only 72 games, he burst onto the Major League scene by batting .301 with five home runs and 27 RBIs, quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s more promising young right-handed hitters.
When healthy, Herrera has consistently demonstrated the ability to produce quality at-bats, reach base at a high rate, and provide power from the catcher position—a combination that remains difficult to find across Major League Baseball.
Those qualities make him especially valuable as the Cardinals continue building toward sustained success.
Unless St. Louis were offered a legitimate superstar in return, moving a young, controllable player like Herrera would likely do more harm than good. It would weaken the current lineup while also stripping away one of the franchise’s most important long-term building blocks.
The Cardinals entered 2026 expecting to begin a rebuilding process, yet the emergence of players like Herrera, Jordan Walker, and several young prospects has accelerated optimism surrounding the organization’s future.
Although the team’s recent struggles may tempt the front office to make significant roster changes, dealing away one of its brightest young stars would represent a major step backward.
If the Cardinals ultimately become sellers at the deadline, the focus should remain on moving veteran players whose timelines no longer align with the club’s long-term vision—not on sacrificing cornerstone talents like Iván Herrera, who appears well-positioned to play a central role in the next successful era of Cardinals baseball.
Leave a Reply