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The St. Louis Cardinals are playing like a team that should be invested in this season.
Although the Cardinals lost on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, this is a team that is seven games above .500 at 38-31 and currently has the No. 1 National League Wild Card spot. This isn't a team just one or two games above .500 and on the outside looking in on the playoff race. If the season were to end today, the Cardinals would have that top NL Wild Card spot to the surprise of pretty much everyone across Major League Baseball.
On Friday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal joined"Foul Territory" and said that Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is "not going to simply ignore the standings" when it comes to the trade deadline.
When the deadline arrives, if the Cardinals still have the top NL Wild Card spot, it may be worth looking around and seeing if there is a low-cost option out there. The Cardinals should go out and spring for someone like Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, but some sort of depth arm for the bullpen wouldn't hurt.
With that being said, here are six low-cost options for St. Louis to watch closely.
Matt Strahm — Kansas City Royals
Jun 2, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Matt Strahm (25) throws against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Strahm is a former All-Star who has struggled so far this season in the Royals' bullpen. He has a 5.40 ERA in 23 appearances after logging a 2.74 ERA last year with the Philadelphia Phillies in 66 outings. He's on a $7.5 million deal and will be a free agent after the season. Certainly worth a flier if the Royals are looking to make changes.
Alex Lange — Kansas City Royals
Jun 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Alex Lange (56) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Another Royals reliever who has underachieved this season. He has a 4.13 ERA in 30 appearances. He has a career 3.77 ERA in 226 total big league outings. He has two more seasons of team control left.
Alec Gamboa — Boston Red Sox
Feb 17, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Alec Gamboa (68) poses for a photo during media day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox are having a bad season, to say the least. The Red Sox and Cardinals have gotten plenty of deals done over the last year. Why not swing another? Gamboa is on the Red Sox's 40-man roster and has made two scoreless appearances this season in the majors, but has spent most of the season in Triple-A. He has a 3.44 ERA in nine Triple-A appearances, including six starts. If the Cardinals want a reliever, Gamboa would be worth a look.
Erik Miller — San Francisco Giants
Jun 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Erik Miller (68) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Another reliever who has underachieved this season, but is worth a look. He has a 3.38 career ERA in the majors in 133 games, but has a 4.58 ERA this season in 24 outings. He has three seasons left of team control.
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