Key keywords: St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, NL Central Division, starting pitcher trade, MLB postseason contention, outfield trade target, bullpen upgrade With less than two weeks remaining until the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline on August 1, the National League Central division race has tightened to a fever pitch, and the St. Louis Cardinals’ official announcement this week that they will list three core veteran players on the trade market has put division-leading Cincinnati Reds in a position where they cannot afford to pass up a potential trade. The Reds currently hold a 3.5-game lead over the second-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, but their roster has clear, well-documented flaws that threaten to derail their first postseason run since 2020. Over the past 30 days, their starting rotation ranks 12th out of 15 NL teams with a combined 4.78 ERA, their left field position has posted a league-worst .652 OPS against left-handed pitchers, and their late-inning bullpen has blown 7 save opportunities since the start of July, more than any other team in the division. The Cardinals’ newly available trade targets check every single one of these boxes: two-time All-Star starting pitcher Miles Mikolas, who has posted a 3.21 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through 19 starts this season, Gold Glove-winning outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who carries an .862 OPS and 17 home runs on the year with a .312 batting average against left-handed pitching, and elite closer Ryan Helsley, who has converted 23 of 25 save opportunities in 2024 with a 1.89 ERA. League insiders confirmed on Wednesday that the Cardinals have eliminated their long-standing informal policy of refusing to trade core players to NL Central rivals, as the team shifts its focus to restocking its farm system for a 2025 contention push. For the Reds, the timing could not be better: per MLB’s official playoff projection model, adding even two of the three available Cardinals players would boost the Reds’ odds of winning the NL Central from 58% to 81%, and increase their odds of advancing past the first round of the postseason from 32% to 57%. The Reds currently have six top-100 prospects in their farm system, giving them more than enough capital to complete a deal without gutting their long-term development pipeline. With the Brewers and Chicago Cubs also reportedly in contact with the Cardinals about the available players, the Reds face increasing pressure to act fast to lock in the upgrades they need to hold onto their division lead through the final two months of the regular season.