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(I'll have a transcript of the chat below the text box that I'll update as often as I can.)

Ken: Hi Daniel. What does your crystal ball say about the trade deadline. Miles, Fedde and Matz should go. MM has a NTC but we should try to move him. The options at triple A are just as productive and it gives us a chance to see what they have .

Guerrero: The crystal ball outlook is kind of fuzzy only because we have about a month left before the deadline, and many games are left to be played. I’m sorry if this feels like a weak answer, but I think this all depends on how the Cardinals do and where they are in the standings. To your point about Mikolas, the no-trade clause is really the key there if there is a potential move to be made. Going back to the offseason, Mikolas expressed his commitment to finishing out his current contract with ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. If he wants to stay, then he stays. As for the options in Triple-A, I think there are productive arm that could slide into the rotation (Michael McGreevy is the prime example), but the options aren’t as deep if you’re thinking the Cardinals should deal two starters like Fedde and Mikolas. Quinn Mathews had his season paused by injury, but is now back to his role in the rotation. Tekoah Roby still needs innings in Triple-A after his promotion up the system. In the bullpen, Andre Granillo and Gordon Graceffo offer intriguing bullpen options if a spot opens there. But Ryan Fernandez appears to still be working on things.

Cardinal Bob: Love watching this team. I don’t expect the team to bring in much at the trade deadline but I do think we need another above average reliever. This being said I don’t think we need to trade any of our top relievers. As for crowds. I hope fans will come back slowly. Mo did a A+ job of driving fans away this winter. Your thoughts? Thank you.

Guerrero: As for how much the Cardinals could bring in at the deadline, IF they are buyers, I wouldn’t think it would be super costly in terms of prospect capital. I just wouldn’t see a front office that is about to go through a transition (from Mozeliak to Bloom) and an organization that has overhauled its farm system make moves that affect the farm in the years to come.

Dan Jensen: What is pitching backwards?

Guerrero: If you ask this in the sense when pitchers say they pitch someone backwards, that means they’re throwing breaking or offspeed pitches to begin an at-bat instead of starting the at-bat off with fastballs like you normally see.

pugger: Hey Daniel, happy Monday to you!! So play GM for a second... If some team comes to you and says "I want Helsley and Fedde and Gorman for a top 3 prospect in our organization" would you do it? Yes, teams prospects vary, but with it being a top 3 player, do you pull the trigger??

Guerrero: That would be a pretty quick no from me. I wouldn’t give up three players (in this case, a closer who has twice been an All-Star, a starter, and a young left-handed hitting infielder) for one prospect. Like you said, a team’s top prospect varies, especially when it comes to the left they’re playing at, their position, recent performance, potential, etc. Just in the way I would look at this, I would expect to get a bigger haul for three players, even if two are on expiring contracts.

bigron: Are there any updates on Walker and Herrera? Also how much do the cardinals receive from the cable outlet that broadcast the game yesterday, if they are wondering why attendance is down that might be a reason where fans cannot get the games on both Friday and Sunday.

Guerrero: Jordan Walker began a rehab assignment on Saturday and continued it on Sunday. He DH’d on Saturday and played the field on Sunday with Class AAA Memphis. He is expected to be ready to come off the injured list when he is eligible later this week for the start of the Cubs series. Herrera did not travel with the Cardinals this weekend. Ivan Herrera did on-field workouts and worked in the weight room during the Cardinals’ home stand last week, but is still a couple more weeks away from a return. As for what the Cardinals receive for the two broadcasts (Apple TV and Roku), I don’t have a clear answer for you. But I share the same sentiment that they can be barriers for fans to watch games. You would have needed access to three services to watch the weekend series in Cleveland.

pugger: How about Philly's top pitching prospect.. Able???

Guerrero: I still think it would be a no for me. If it was Andrew Painter though, then I think we're talking. 

Guerrero: ^to add some clarification to my response to pugger's last question: I mean "talking" in the sense that I still think there'd be at least an additional prospect to go along with a center piece prospect in a deal.

Jay Lewis: Good morning, Daniel. I thought there was no limit to the number of times a player that had options could "ride the Memphis Shuttle." Last week one of the P-D writers said in an article that there was a limit of five trips. Is this correct? I'm an on line subscriber because of the sports section. a pat on the back to the whole group.

Guerrero: There are limits to how many times a player can be optioned before they need to be designated for assignment and passed through waivers. A player can be optioned five times per season. So in Munoz's case, if he is recalled to the majors, the only way to send him back to Memphis would be to pass him through waivers.

Millo Miller: Daniel, greetings this Monday. Listened to Craig Counsell being interviewed yesterday and he gave a good perspective of being a baseball fan. When you become a fan, you invest in a team with a long season, very long season. You ride a never ending roller coaster of ups and downs. You sign up for the good and the bad. He stated as a manager you hope the bad times are minimal. He's right and that is why Ollie's demeanor is the way it is, no matter if the game is a good one or a bad one. You have to find the positives and build on them. Your thoughts? Thank you.

Guerrero: Oh I 100% understand that perspective. To compare a baseball season to another sport's season, let's look at the NFL. If your NFL team drops a game on Sunday, it's easy to feel bummed because that's one of 17 games. They don't play again until next Sunday. There's so much weight to put into that game because they essentially play four games in a month. In baseball, the team you are a fan of take a loss on Sunday and guess what? They play again on Monday. And then again on Tuesday. And then again on Wednesday. Of course, if that losing piles up, then things get tough. One of the things I noticed when doing primarily prospect coverage was how coaches would highlight the even-keel nature of some players as a trait that sets them apart. The nature of the game doesn't work well with getting too high or too low on how things are going. I've always felt like with baseball, you don't know when that streak (hitting, winning, etc.) will start that helps you overcome the woes. Maybe it's today. Perhaps tomorrow. It can be three days or a week from now. I think you do have to weather the storm in baseball because of the day-to-day nature.

Tackleberry: What is Nootbaar’s role in 2026?

Guerrero: I think we have to let the rest of 2025 play out before we get a clearer picture of that.

pugger: Is it more important to make a hard push for a playoff birth, to get the young guys that playoff experience (ala the Blues this year), or just keep the eyes on the prize for 2026 and beyond, and trade some/most of the expiring contracts (Fedde/Helsley/etc..)??? Thanks Daniel

Guerrero: Good question. I think this may be a question the front office would have to balance. To me, it seems like the ideal scenario is to compete while making sure young guys get the opportunity to have regular roles. I still think there is an importance in building toward the future while trying to push for the playoffs this year.

Fumblinbumblin: What does Luken Baker have to do? Regardless if we buy or sell, I'd like to find a way to get him to a team where he can stick on the mlb roster

Guerrero: It feels like for Baker to get a chance to have a regular run in the majors, his best odds would be with another organization. When in the majors, he had a limited role off the bench, and there isn’t a clear path for playing in the majors for him at the moment.

Tbird728: It seems to me that the Cardinals are closing to contending than originally expected. I know the mantra is always more pitching, pitching, pitching. But the Cardinals seem to need a power hitting OF desperately. Is there any chance at the trade deadline that they go for a major league ready power hitting OF prospect, if they trade Helsley, Fedde/Matz/Mikolas and some of our current ML roster?

Guerrero: Remember with Mikolas that he would need to approve a trade because he has a no-trade clause in his contract. Yes, the Cardinals could use a boost in terms of slug from the outfield. Alec Burleson has brought that to the outfield mix with his recent run in right field, and Lars Nootbaar, who gets on base often, flashed some slug but hasn’t been able to sustain it over a longer period. But I just don’t get the sense they’d acquire a major-league-ready power-hitting outfield prospect. It feels like they still want to get a sense of who the young guys, like Jordan Walker, can be. Yes, Walker has had some inconsistent playing time but they still want to see what is there with the 23-year-old.

dracydni: It seems like there are position-player prospects rising through AA/AAA (JJ, Baez, Bernal, Crooks, etc.) who have higher ceilings than some of the mid-20ish players currently on the roster (Walker, Burleson, Gorman, Nootbar, etc.) Are we likely to see a big roster turnover in 2026-2027?

Guerrero: Players are rising, and the ones you mentioned have stood out in the Cardinals’ system. I think they’ll start trickling into the majors over the next two years, but I wouldn’t say there would be exactly a big turnover with the roster. I think we still need to see some of the names you mentioned get more time in the minors before we look ahead to next year. It feels like Crooks, who is in Class AAA, and Wetherholt are the closest. Bernal is 21 years old and has stood out in a crowded catching system. Baez has shown some of the promise that made him a second-round pick in 2021, but has had limited time in Class AA following his promotion to the level earlier this year. I think on the pitching side is where we could see a bit more turnover in the next two years if players on expiring contracts (like Fedde and Mikolas) are not brought back. 

Dennis: I think the Cards should prefer a pitcher for their fist pick in this years draft. How do you rank the pitching prospects this year?

Guerrero: The top arms are really intriguing. Seth Hernandez, a righty out of Corona (Calif.) high school, stands out in that group. He’s a Vanderbilt commit and could be picked before the Cardinals are on the clock with the 5th pick. There are a pair of lefties, Kade Anderson from Louisiana State University and Jamie Arnold from Florida State University, who could be picked within the top 5. I think Arnold would be an interesting pick. His fastball touched 98 mph and can get both swing and miss and groundouts. 

Shut up and take my money!: Daniel, thanks for the chat!! I've only been to two games this year, but from watching the games from home, it does look like actual fans through the turnstiles is creeping upward (setting aside the horrendous heat wave). As someone actually at the park regularly, do you get a similar vibe? I'm personally more excited about this team than I was in the middle of March.

Guerrero: I think there have been some decent crowds the past month, depending on who is in town. (I think back to that Dodgers series as one of the more full stretches at Busch.) Overall, I would say there is a bit of a different feel compared to earlier this year, now that we’ve seen the Cardinals play some quality baseball. I don’t think that feel of Busch Stadium ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ans are used to is fully back but it feels like that vibe is creeping back.

David J: Daniel: The Cards record at the mid-point of the season is much better than I expected. Are we getting to the point where management starts putting the best talent possible on the field, and playing down other priorities? For example, 2 of the pitchers with the best WHIP are McGreevy and Matz - and neither are in the starting rotation. If the Cards make the playoffs - and if the season ended today they would qualify - they will need additional high quality starters beyond Gray and Liberatore. Mikolas, Fedde and Pallante are not good enough. In my view, it's time to find out if McGreevy and Matz are capable of being high quality starters. An added benefit: if Matz does prove to be healthy and dominates as a starter now, then the team could either keep him for the pennant run and the playoffs OR maximize the return in a trade. What do you think?

Guerrero: I feel we are getting close to getting clarity on that scenario. I really think the trade deadline will be the point where we find out what direction the club is going in whether that is adding to push for the playoffs, selling to give young guys added playing time or even standing pat and letting the group that produce these results get a shot to push for the playoff together. With the scenarios you described, I think only McGreevy would be the one given a starting role instead of Matz. Matz has been a strong piece to the Cardinals’ bullpen and one that has allowed them to be flexible with their rotation and in bullpen usage because of his ability to cover multiple innings. I think there is a want to keep him there because of the value he has provided.

Mo was a BP pitcher: Daniel, I am curious about your evaluation of Jordan Walker when he was a minor leaguer in the Cards system. Has that outlook changed after 3 years of average play at the big league level? Is his ceiling still as high as it once was, or are you lowering your expections for him moving forward. Thanks

Guerrero: After getting a chance to watch Walker regularly while he was in the minors, it was clear why he was viewed as a top prospect in all of baseball. At 19-20 years old, he hit the ball extremely well in Double-A and had a pretty solid line drive approach. I thought that was going to translate well to the majors as he continued to grow and add strength to his frame. What we’ve seen in the majors has been some ups and downs as we all have seen. I think for the 23-year-old Walker, there is still that ceiling. His age is a major factor. The batted ball data when he has squared baseballs up shows that the potential as a hitter is still there. I think we saw a little bit of it earlier this season before the left wrist injury sidelined him.

Hot to trot: Does management have enough confidence in granillo or maton as a closer to trade helsley for a decent starter and still be competitive if we get to the playoffs?

Guerrero: Maton has been an excellent addition, and Granillo showed well in his first stint in the majors, but I think the notion of being competitive to push for the playoffs would include keeping your two-time All-Star closer. I think they like what Maton has provided as a setup guy and as a resource to the younger players, which gives me the notion they wouldn’t put him in a closer role if it was needed. And with Granillo, even though he has had experiences as a closer in the minors, I just don’t see the Cardinals putting him in that role this early in his career.

ICCFIM: The better question on Granillo is what is the injury update. He left a game on June 25 with an injury to his pitching arm and no information has been made available since. Could O'Brien become the closer?

Guerrero: There hasn't been any information on Granillo's exit from that game. As for O'Brien, he has some sharp stuff but I don't think he'd be put in a closing role just yet.

ud: Cards are 2.5 back in the NLC and hold the third wild card as it stands this morning. Let's assume they stay here by the trade deadline. Is their 40 man roster enough to keep them there to the end, if not where are the wholes what would be the biggest payoff addition (starting or relief pitching or offense)? One more bat--perhaps right handed--like Burleson or Donovan, one more arm like Gray or Liberatore, or one more arm like Maton of Helsley?

Guerrero: If we’re looking at this at the 40-man roster as a whole, I think the starting pitching depth, or lack of, would be a concern. When you look at the starting options behind the Cardinals’ current rotation and beyond Michael McGreevy, there is some uncertainty because of unproven players. Now that Gordon Graceffo has been moved to the bullpen, it feels that is a track he may be on. Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby are both on the 40-man roster, but I don’t think either is ready for long runs in the majors if needed because of an injury. An injury to the starting staff could cause some problems because you don’t have much MLB-ready depth behind McGreevy. The Cardinals have gotten through the first three months of the season soundly in part because of their starting staff’s health. But to make a playoff run, I think health would need to be on their side, assuming they don’t have depth options emerge.

pugger: How would you rate the overall farm system, Daniel? You have a good eye on it for the last few years. Can you give us some insights into some of the strengths you see overall, players to keep an eye on, and some of the 'holes' in the minors that we need to fill (like a ton more pitching prospects)? Thanks Daniel!

Guerrero: The system as a whole feels more improved compared to where it was at this time last year. I think part of that is because of the new faces that have been introduced (JJ Wetherholt, for example) and those who have played their way back into prominence, like Joshua Baez. The injuries with starting pitchers, like Cooper Hjerpe’s Tommy John surgery, paused individual timelines and caused some issues with depth. But I think we’ve seen Quinn Mathews hit some bumps but also show flashes of who he was last year following his IL return. Tekoah Roby has stayed healthy and reached Class AAA. He’s allowed one run in his last 11 innings (two starts) after giving up 12 in his first two starts at the level, so seeing him start to settle in is a positive. Tink Hence is also back and logging innings in Class AA. The catching department feels like a strength. Behind Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal, Rainiel Rodriguez has crushed the ball in the lower minors. He’s only 18, so there’s still plenty of time left for him to develop. Where I see some gaps are with right-handed hitting outfielders. Outside of the 22-year-old Joshua Baez, there aren’t many righty outfielders that stand out. Travis Honeyman, the Cardinals’ third-round pick last year, offers some promise, but injuries have kept him to 218 at-bats since making his pro debut last year.

Tackleberry: What is your read on the World Series Competitive timeline for this team? You could argue that if they take the Mikolas/Matz money and pay one starting pitcher $30m+ (only 6 pitchers make $35m+) that they are really close. And DeWitt can hold the payroll.

Guerrero: I agree that a top-line starter could help push that World Series competitive timeline. I mean, you can’t ever have too much pitching. Every team would agree there. I also think a power bat that can play the outfield, whether that emerges in-house or from elsewhere, could help. But when you look at the strong points that have kept the Cardinals where they are now, the role Steven Matz has played is a key one. Aside from the 123 ERA+ (100 ERA+ is league average), Matz’s flexibility to cover multiple innings and be used as a starter earlier this year has helped keep the Cardinals to a pitching plan that’s kept the staff healthy. You can’t overlook the value Matz has brought in a role he could have easily said no to. 

Karl: Ok, so the FO isn't going to want to augment by depleting the farm. So, what could we get for Fedde and Matz? Do we trade them for other rentals or prospects?McGreevy and Graceffo could fairly easily replace their production. I vote prospects. Also, Helsley is our best trade chip. How high of a prospect or prospects could we get for him?

Guerrero: Returns depend on the market and how needy teams are. IF the Cardinals sell and those players are playing well, then I expect they could command pretty good prospect hauls. Again, that is IF they sell. When it comes to replacing that production, I think McGreevy has shown he can slide into the rotation and be a quality arm. Graceffo certainly has the stuff to work from the bullpen and is seemingly adjusting well, but I don’t know what it would look like to fill the void of not having the flexible arm that Matz has been. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, Matz’s production and flexibility have helped others on the staff not skip a beat. That’s hard to replace.

DCG: It seems to me that the fact that you have to qualify your answer to this question in terms of where the Cardinals are in the standings reveals, once again, that the FO is rudderless. What are they committed to? They said that winning this season would take a back seat to development, and yet we've seen at almost every turn that they have made roster and lineup decisions base more on winning. Herrera doesn't catch. Gorman and Walker weren't really getting the "long runways" as promised. Heck, it took injuries to get Gorman in the lineup every day (all the while, their fetish for Nootbaar remains intact as he is immune from benching no matter his performance level). Despite consistent good starts, McGreevey can't break into the rotation. DGoold uses the phrase "riding the fence" to describe the Cardinals FO these days, and I think this season has only reinforced that. I wonder if things change when Bloom takes the helm, but since all things trickled down from BDWII, I doubt it.

Guerrero: You’re right that it feels like there’s some fogginess with the immediate direction, which in turn could affect the long-term direction. It really felt like the path the front office was going to take was clear because of the incoming Bloom era. Now that the club has played its way into contention as we enter July and near the deadline, it feels as if that core has earned a chance to fight for a playoff spot when, before the season began, many thought they could be gearing up to be sellers at this point. From what he heard last year at the end of the season, I get the impression that there is going to be a clear vision once the Bloom era begins because we’ll have a better sense of what the club looks like following this reset/transition year.

Guerrero: Alright, I think that’s a good spot to end this chat. Thanks to everyone for your participation and for continuing to follow our coverage here at STL Today dot com and in the pages of the Post-Dispatch. Derrick Goold will have you covered during the three-game series in Pittsburgh and into through the weekend when the Cardinals visit Wrigley Field for a three-game set vs. the Cubs. I hope your week goes well, and I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend ahead. Best, Daniel Guerrero

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