Another MLB trade deadline has passed and the Cardinals have remained silent.
On the last day deals could be done during the 2019 season, the Cardinals shipped infielder Jedd Gyorko to the Dodgers for left-handed reliever Tony Cingrani and minor league pitcher Tony Abreu.
Cingrani is recovering from shoulder surgery and not expected to pitch the rest of the season.
They also... oh wait. That was it.
The team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2015, is currently in first place in their division on July 31 and has obvious glaring needs decided to stand pat. Again.
That is unless for some reason you want to include the additions of middling relievers Adalberto Mejia and Zac Rosscup, who the Cardinals added over the past few days.
The last time the Cardinals made a significant deadline deal was... well, I don't know? John Lackey for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly in 2013? Zach Duke in 2016? Giovanny Gallegos and Chasen Shreve for Luke Voit last season? Tyson Ross? Do those count?
The most disappointing thing about this trade deadline though, is that this team had one extremely glaring need that absolutely had to be addressed.
They needed another starter.
Flip-flopping between Michael Wacha and Daniel Ponce de Leon is not going to cut it for a team chasing a playoff spot.
And there were starters to be had to at least try something new! That wouldn't have cost the farm!
You're telling me the Cardinals couldn't have traded for Aaron Sanchez? Tanner Roark? Drew Pomeranz? Trevor Richards? Zack Wheeler? Even Marcus Stroman didn't cost that much to get.
Cardinals President John Mozeliak and General Manager Michael Girsch have both stated they're not willing to mortgage the farm at the risk of harming future success.
That's fine and all, but when you haven't made the playoffs in three consecutive years in a town that literally revolves around baseball and you do absolutely nothing when you're in first place on July 31, you look a bit tone deaf.
This current team certainly has the talent on paper to make the playoffs. They always have. But to get no help from the front office after playing themselves back into contention? That's just disappointing.