The St. Louis Cardinals certainly seem to be at least year ahead of schedule on their reset under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Bloom took over the role after the 2025 season and has been good in it so far. The organization ripped the Band-Aid off and traded Nolan Arendo, Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, and Sonny Gray to let the kids play and bolster the farm system. Clearly, it worked with the farm system as St. Louis entered the 2026 season with the second-ranked farm system in baseball, per Baseball America. On top of this, the Cardinals have been great, for the most part, in the majors this season. The Cardinals have a 42-36 record right now and have seen breakout performances all over the place, including from Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, and Michael McGreevy. This team is good. But they could be better. Specifically, the rotation needs another dependable arm with Matthew Liberatore mightily struggling. The bullpen is a weakness as well. The Cardinals are walking a thin line, though. Because the Cardinals are in the middle of this reset period, they aren't going to go out and do anything crazy this summer. Bloom made that point clear on Wednesday and acknowledged that the team is going to spring for any "shortcuts," essentially don't expect to see any rentals coming to town.If the Cardinals are in contention for a playoff spot, we could see some movement. Newly-promoted CEO Bill DeWitt III said on Wednesday that winning could change the club's thoughts on the season. But, again, don't expect to see any rental coming to St. Louis. If the Cardinals do end up winning enough to add, adding a starter with team control would be for the best. With that being said, here are realistic mock trades for three that would fit this description: Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels, Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals, and Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins. Reid DetmersJun 16, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) throws in the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn ImagesCardinals Receive: LHP Reid DetmersAngels Receive: RHP Hunter Dobbins, OF/SS Ryan Mitchell (STL's No. 10 prospect)Detmers has a 3.93 ERA so far this season in 16 starts. The 26-year-old has two more seasons of control and has appeared in 152 games so far in his big league career in six seasons. He has a 4.62 career ERA, but has bounced between the rotation and bullpen. This season, he has been very solid after being moved back to the rotation. On the Angels' side, Dobbins is also a 26-year-old hurler with upside and Mitchell is a prospect in the lower levels of the minors right now, but with a bright future. He's certainly someone for St. Louis to consider. Michael WachaJun 22, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesCardinals Receive: RHP Michael WachaRoyals Receive: LHP Brycen Mautz (STL's No. 20 overall prospect), RHP Tink Hence (STL's No. 14 overall prospect)Wacha has had plenty of success in a Cardinals uniform. He also hasn't finished a season with an ERA above 3.86 since 2021. Right now, he has a 3.48 ERA in 16 starts to go along with one more season of control. In this scenario, the Cardinals trade a young lefty with a 2.45 Triple-A ERA and who made his big league debut this season along with a former top prospect in Hence.Joe RyanJun 24, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn ImagesCardinals Receive: RHP Joe RyanTwins Receive: OF Lars Nootbaar, C Jimmy Crooks, OF/SS Ryan Mitchell (STL's No. 10 prospect)This is the biggest pipe dream of the three. Ryan is an ace-level pitcher. He has a 3.18 ERA in 17 starts so far this season and a 3.71 career ERA in 132 total big league appearances in six seasons. He earned his first All-Star nod last season and should have another on the way this season. He has one more season of control left in 2027. If you make a move like this, you're doing so with the hope that you can get an extension done. Ryan is the type of hurler you could build your entire rotation around for years to come. He's just 30 years old and is getting better. In this scenario, the Cardinals flip Nootbaar, Crooks and a top 10 prospect. That's a lot to pay, but the Cardinals could immediately replace Nootbaar with Joshua Báez. When it comes to Crooks, the Cardinals could replace him with Leo Bernal when he's ready to make the jump to the majors. It helps that he's been tearing the cover off the ball. If Ryan could be had, he's the guy to go after.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow