Cardinals place notable trade deadline addition on waivers

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be making a big admission about their season, and that might lead to them parting ways with a player they acquired less than a month ago.

The Cardinals placed outfielder Tommy Pham on waivers Thursday, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. That move means another team could theoretically claim Pham before the Sept. 1 playoff eligibility deadline, allowing him to play for another team in the playoffs. The Cardinals would simply keep Pham if he were to go unclaimed.

The move means the Cardinals seem to think they will not be making a playoff push. Though they had some hopes back in July, the team has gone 10-15 in August entering play Thursday, essentially playing themselves out of contention. They sit seven games out in the NL Wild Card race, a gap that is probably too big to make up in a month.

Pham rejoined the Cardinals last month in a pre-deadline trade, and has been deployed as a platoon bat. The Cardinals have failed to close the gap with him around, so they are at least giving him a chance to join a real contender for the rest of the year.