This file photo from February shows St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson taking infield practice during spring training in Jupiter, Florida. In talking about his dad for Father’s Day, Burleson said his dad continues to give him advice on his game.

It wasn't so long ago that the St. Louis Cardinals were arguably the most pleasant surprise of the 2025 MLB season; once written off as a team in denial about its inevitable rebuild, the Redbirds shook off a sleepy winter to finish the first two months of the year smack in the NL playoff picture at 33-25.

The St. Louis Cardinals are a tweener team, as it is still too early to tell if they can become real postseason contenders.

Cardinals fourth. Brendan Donovan singles to shallow center field. Ivan Herrera singles to shallow right field. Brendan Donovan to third. Alec Burleson flies out to center field to Jackson

Ryan Helsley is in his final season before free agency and would be coveted at the deadline. But will the Cardinals need him?

The St. Louis Cardinals could eventually end up being sellers at the trade deadline if they continue down the path of losing games this season. If this is the case, the Cardinals are going to have quite a few teams calling their phones to ask about multiple veteran players on the roster.

If St. Louis follows the majority’s opinion and sells, here are some likely trade candidates: Ryan Helsley (RP, $8.2M) – Elite closer who could fetch a strong prospect package from a contender. Miles Mikolas (SP, $18.5M) – A veteran innings-eater that playoff-bound teams may look at for rotation depth.

Indeed, it was. The Blue Jays swept the Cardinals, capped by a 5-2 win Wednesday afternoon. It marked the third time the Cardinals have been swept this season and dropped their record to 36-32.