MLB rumors: Will Cardinals, other surprising teams go all in at trade deadline?

The MLB season has featured a number of surprises so far in 2026. While teams that were expected to contend like the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox have struggled, rebuilding ball clubs such as the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals have out-performed expectations. The Cardinals have especially impressed, as they are currently 29-23 and in second place in the National League Central standings. However, the success of the Cardinals, White Sox and Nationals does not mean the teams will go all in at the MLB trade deadline according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.

“What I would expect from those three teams if in two months they are still kind of in contention would be for them to buy, but not aggressively,” Rosenthal said. “Maybe try to enhance their team in different ways, maybe add a bullpen piece here or there, or if there’s an offensive position where they might need help, maybe do that. But they’re not going to deviate, none of them will, from their overall rebuilding plan.”

The Cardinals, White Sox and Nationals still have work to do in order to build a legitimate World Series contender. Sure, anything can happen if a team sneaks into October. The chances of one of the Cardinals or Nationals upsetting the Los Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves in a postseason series are slim, however. The American League is more open, but the White Sox will still have trouble if they reach the playoffs as well.

Buying at the deadline makes sense. There’s no need to sell star players if a ball club is contending. With that being said, trading away top prospects during a rebuild would be an extremely risky decision.

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