The Kansas City Royals may be reluctant to trade Michael Wacha at the upcoming trade deadline, but that hasn't stopped insiders and baseball writers from speculating potential moves for the 2026 All-Star. One of the most recent ones came from Jim Bowden of The Athletic, who pitched Wacha as a "perfect trade target" for the St. Louis Cardinals. And after St. Louis shortstop Masyn Winn had some bold words about the Cardinals management's approach leading up to the deadline, a Royals-Cardinals deal could be dead in the water. "We could win every game for the rest of the year, and [Chaim Bloom] would still trade guys," Winn told Cardinals beat writer Jeff Jones on Tuesday. They all agree they share responsibility in how the post-deadline looks: — Jeff Jones (@jmjones) July 28, 2026All signs pointed to J.J. Picollo and Co. holding onto Wacha through the trade deadline.