{"id":770842,"date":"2026-08-05T17:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T17:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/770842\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T17:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T17:48:14","slug":"who-did-the-cardinals-receive-after-selling-at-the-deadline-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/770842\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Did the Cardinals Receive After Selling at the Deadline? \u2013 The Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The St. Louis Cardinals began the year as one of the biggest surprises<\/a> of the MLB season. Many Cardinals fans were hopeful. The team was much better<\/a> than expected and had a good first third of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cardinals fans were excited going into the All-Star break, and Jordan Walker<\/a> winning the Home Run Derby in spectacular fashion only raised hopes. Walker was in the MVP race<\/a> and won the derby. There was nothing but enthusiasm about the Cardinals going around St. Louis. But, unfortunately for the fans, the team has lost the spark that got them going.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Cardinals have gone 5-12 since the All-Star break. The team is angering fans<\/a> because they are losing close games<\/a> and getting blown out in the games in between. Some fans thought that winning an extra-inning game against the Cubs via walk-off on July 29 would return the spark needed in the team. However, they returned the next night and lost in extra innings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After that post-All-Star break falloff, the Cardinals\u2019 new general manager Chaim Bloom decided to go all in on the future in St. Louis. Bloom chose to trade away three key players on the team, including Dustin May<\/a> and JoJo Romero<\/a> to the Brewers and Lars Nootbaar<\/a> to the Diamondbacks. Both trades brought back prospects rather than current major leaguers, demonstrating Bloom\u2019s focus on the future instead of winning immediately.<\/p>\n

Who Are Those Prospects?
\nOF Alexander Frias<\/a><\/p>\n

Frias is an 18-year-old Dominican whom the Cardinals acquired from the Brewers in the trade. He ranked as the Brewers\u2019 No. 8 prospect despite his youth, and for good reason. The lefty slugger was one of the biggest stars <\/a>of the 2026 Arizona Complex League with a batting average of .441<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Although Frias is young, his talent immediately placed him as\u00a0the fourth-best prospect<\/a> in the Cardinals\u2019 organization. Scouts project that he will make his MLB debut within the next two years.<\/p>\n

OF Josiah Ragsdale<\/a><\/p>\n

Ragsdale, 22, was a seventh-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Boston College. He\u2019s had over 380 plate appearances in minor league baseball and has a .313 batting average. Most of those appearances have been at the Double-A level. It seems that he is on track to make the major leagues fairly soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He is now ranked as the Cardinals\u2019 10th prospect and is expected<\/a> to make the team by the 2028 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RHP Daniel Eagen<\/a><\/p>\n

Eagen, 23, was a third-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and is now the No. 17 prospect in the Cardinals\u2019 system. He has an impressive 29.2 strikeout rate and 9.1 percent walk rate in his 20 starts in Double-A this season. Eagen has good size at 6\u20194\u2033, which has helped him keep his velocity in the\u00a0mid-90s<\/a> throughout his time in the minors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eagen is a high-velocity, high-strikeout pitcher, which is exactly what the Cardinals need in their system right now. In college, he won the Big South Pitcher of the Year award with a school record 122 strikeouts in 77 2\/3 innings<\/a>. He is expected<\/a> to make the majors next year, potentially as a bullpen arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

LHP Sandro Santana<\/a><\/p>\n

Santana is a 21-year-old Dominican pitcher who has played well for the Diamondbacks\u2019 minor league teams since he was signed two months before his 18th birthday in 2023. He was originally tested out as a starter, but with his 96-98 mph fastball as his main pitch, it was unsustainable due to the velocity.<\/p>\n

Santana then moved to the bullpen, where he thrived. He has committed to practicing his sweeping slider along with his fastball, which has been dominant<\/a> in the first half of the 2026 season. He ranks as the Cardinals\u2019 22nd-best prospect, and scouts project he will make his major league debut next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We have acquired OF Alexander Frias and OF Josiah Ragsdale from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for RHP Dustin May and LHP JoJo Romero. pic.twitter.com\/KKcT33eG2M<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n