The St. Louis Cardinals under Walt Jocketty developed a strange midseason trope out of their habit of collecting veterans in exchange for their mid-range prospects--rather than rounding in midseason form they were said to be holding on until the trade deadline, or staying in contention in spite of their problems, no matter how far ahead of the NL Central they were at the time.
In that sense: The Cardinals are holding on up to the trade deadline. After topping the Houston Astros twice in a row they find themselves a half-game up in a tight National League Central. But the trade deadline thing could come back to bite them if they decide to trade Colby Rasmus in a misguided attempt to shore up their (very real) problems.
The Walt Jocketty Cardinals rarely had a great young outfielder to trade, but given his proclivity for thirtysomethings we'd probably be in the same situation if he were still around--the Cardinals have held on up to the trade deadline, but it's difficult to tell whether that will make them better or worse.
For a full look at the NL Central standings, check out Viva El Birdos's handy sidebar.