The 2010 Major League Baseball trade deadline is just under a month away with the deadline being its customary date of July 31st on a yearly basis.

Over the next month I will try and tackle every Major League team as the deadline approaches to see if they will be buyers, sellers or stick to their current roster.

I will be basing my assumptions on the direction the team is going, their record as of the date I post the article, possible roster injuries and so on and so forth.

I will provide the information about each team by division.

I began with the National League East’s Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins & Washington Nationals.

Yesterday I began my look at the NL Central with the Cincinnati Reds and today I will continue with their division rival St.Louis Cardinals.

Coming into play today against the Colorado Rockies the Cardinals own a record of 45-37, trailing the first place Reds by two games in the NL Central.

The Cardinals are the team to beat in the Central as they look to defend their division crown which they earned last season thanks to a phenomenal pitching staff coached by guru Dave Duncan which features yearly Cy Young candidates Chris Carpenter & Adam Wainwright along with offensive mega-stars Albert Pujols & Matt Holliday.

In the off-season the Cardinals locked up Holliday long-term after acquiring him midway through the 2009 season in a trade with the Oakland Athletics and added pieces such as starter Brad Penny & infielder Felipe Lopez to their already potent line-up.

The team’s pitching staff lost Joel Pineiro to free agency this off-season countering with the acquisition of Penny which gave them a starting staff of Carpenter, Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Penny & Jaime Garcia who won the fifth starter’s job out of Spring Training after a non-existant 2009 season.

Carpenter (9-2, 3.16ERA) & Wainwright (12-5, 2.24ERA, 4CG) have met expectations as one of the best one-two pitching punches in baseball yet again, while Lohse (1-4, 5.89ERA) & Penny (3-4, 3.23ERA) are both on the disabled list.

Lohse is not expected back until late July with exertional compartment syndrome while Penny is scheduled to return after the All-Star break as he recovers from a strained lat muscle.

Garcia has been the biggest surprise for the Cardinals rotation pitching exceptionally well posting a record of 8-4 with a 2.10ERA in sixteen starts giving the Cardinals a starting rotation top three that can outpitch almost any other staff in baseball.

Filling in for the injured Lohse & Penny across the season has been a mix of Adam Ottavino (0-2, 8.46ERA), who is now pitching out of the bullpen, Blake Hawksworth (2-5, 5.02ERA) & recently re-acquired veteran Jeff Suppan (0-4, 6.44ERA), which currently makes the Cardinals weak and susceptible at the back end of the rotation.

The Cardinals bullpen has been impressive this season and is anchored by 37-year old aging closer Ryan Franklin (3-0, 2.16ERA, 15SV in 16SVO) and currently features the likes of right-handers Ottavino, Mitchell Boggs (1-2, 2.55ERA), Kyle McClellan (0-2, 2.43ERA), Jason Motte (3-2, 2.25ERA) & left-handed veterans Trever Miller (0-1, 3.15ERA) & Dennys Reyes (2-1, 2.74ERA).

The offensive attack of the Cardinals is predominantly known for their combination of Holliday (.298, 11HR, 39RBI) and Pujols (.305, 20HR, 60RBI), but also features All-Star & Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina (.229, 3HR, 31RBI) and rising star Colby Rasmus (.278, 16HR, 40RBI) as well as an assortment of highly intelligent role players such as Lopez (.272, 4HR, 18RBI), slick fielding shortstop Brendan Ryan (.198, 2HR, 15RBI) & Skip Schumaker (.255, 2HR, 19RBI).

The team depends on the offensive output of Pujols and Holliday in a large manner while shutting down opposing teams with their consistently effective pitching staff and playing sound defensive baseball under one of the best managers of all time in Tony La Russa.

With the Reds playing outstanding baseball this season the Cardinals are not going to run away with the division like everyone expected so as the July 31st trade deadline approaches you may see the Cardinals make a deal or two to fortify themselves against any possible opposition that comes their way.

The Cardinals, like many teams, have been linked to Seattle Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee, having sent scouts to watch Lee pitch effectively in his most recent start in Detroit. One half season of Lee could come at a very inexpensive price of paying the remainder of Lee’s $8 million salary in 2010.

The Cardinals may have to give up prospects bettering the proposed deal the Minnesota Twins have on the table for Lee, which includes catching prospect Wilson Ramos & outfielder Aaron Hicks.

The Cardinals could top that deal by offering the likes of third baseman David Freese & top prospect in right handed pitcher Shelby Miller, although giving up Freese who was playing well in his first full Major League season (.296, 4HR, 36RBI) before landing on the DL with a bone bruise in his right ankle, as well as your top pitching prospect might not be a good idea from an organizational standpoint.

Maybe the Cardinals could counter the Twins offer with a catcher of their own in Bryan Anderson (.274, 9HR, 31RBI at Triple A Memphis) as well as outfield prospect Daryl Jones (.254, 3HR, 30RBI at Double A Springfield ) & one more player such as the powerful Nick Stavinoha (.275, 2HR, 7RBI for the Cardinals). That kind of deal could trump the Twins offer allowing the Cardinals to retain their number one prospect as well as current Major League third baseman and gain Lee, but is that deal even too much?

Could the Cardinals go after former teammate Dan Haren?

How much would it take to pry Haren away from the Arizona Diamondbacks?

The deal would most certainly have to be more than what I listed above for Lee as Haren is under team control until at least 2012 with a club option for 2013, but his salary may be too expensive for the Cardinals as they will need every penny available to lock up Pujols this off-season, unless the two sides decide to go the route of the club option to buy some time as Pujols has one this off-season at $16 million.

Haren may be too pricey from a salary standpoint as well as an organizational standpoint in regards to the Cardinals farm system, so the best option for the Cardinals from a pitching standpoint in my opinion would be to go after Lee, although they will have some stiff competition for his services from the likes of the New York Yankees & Minnesota Twins amongst others.

The Cardinals have the necessary pieces to win their division again, but will it be enough to overcome the onslaught of the surprising Reds? Will the team be able to make up for last season’s first round exit against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the product they currently have on the field?

A number of questions could be answered for the Cardinals come the July 31st trade deadline, will the answers come for the Cardinals via a big time trade?

We shall wait and see.

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