With the MLB trade deadline looming, here’s how the Cardinals can address their needs

With just a week to go until Major League Baseball’s annual trade deadline, shopping lists are firming up around the game.

Even with a relative logjam in the standings — a jam in which the St. Louis Cardinals are mired, if near the top — teams are sorting themselves into buyers and sellers, and the decisions which will shape playoff races and perhaps eventually playoff series are being made across 30 executive suites.

A year removed from an embarrassing sell campaign, the Cardinals will be buyers. There will be additions made to the team in the coming days, even if the precise identities of those additions aren’t quite known.

Whether the Cardinals will be able to fill their three most pressing needs is to be seen; whether those needs exist is beyond debate.

A Right-Handed Bat

The Cardinals have gotten nothing from Jordan Walker , barely anything from Paul Goldschmidt , and not enough from Nolan Arenado in the season’s first four months. That has left them scrambling to assemble the middle of a batting order and scrapping to score runs against left-handed pitching.

On opening day, Goldschmidt hit second for the Cardinals and Nolan Gorman hit third. As July winds down, they’re still hitting consecutively – seventh and eighth. The offense needs help.

With a strong belief that Walker’s year in the minors will serve him well in the long term, the Cardinals will likely prefer to add a rental who can provide hits down the stretch without tying up dollars or a roster spot in the long term.

Chicago White Sox outfielder and former Cardinal Tommy Pham is perhaps the archetype of such a player under the current circumstances, but he’s also likely to draw several competitive bids.

It’s also an open question whether the organization would entertain a reunion with Pham, who has spoken glowingly of the system since his departure but whose behind the scenes relationships with some key decision makers still in place were strained. Still unsigned this past spring, Pham arrived in Jupiter, Fla. for a meeting about a contract but left without a deal.

Kevin Pillar of the Angels has been mentioned in this context, but he was released by the White Sox toward the end of April and has really only one strong month of results under his belt this season.

One intriguing possibility who would also represent a return engagement – Lane Thomas, who the Cardinals traded to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Jon Lester at the 2021 deadline. Thomas crushes lefties but struggles against righties. He can play a passable center, making him an ideal platoon partner for Michael Siani. He also comes with one more year of team control, in theory giving the Cardinals flexibility next season without an over-long commitment.

A Righty Reliever

Ryan Fernandez and Chris Roycroft have exceeded all reasonable expectations for their success this season. Andrew Kittredge, pitching his first full year after elbow surgery, has helped lock down the back end of games. Depth has worked out in the Cardinals’ favor, but bullpens are fickle and tides can turn quickly.

An additional reliever is perhaps the most likely player St. Louis will add over the next week, if for no other reason than there is always a readily available supply. Should Riley O’Brien successfully return from his rehab assignment, he would offer further depth, but paying for certainty means paying for peace of mind.

The Cardinals had interest in a reunion with John Brebbia this winter before he opted for greater opportunity and financial stability with the White Sox, and there is an expectation among many around the team that they will revisit that possibility as the Sox put him on the block. Brebbia’s contract includes a team option (and a buyout) for next season, so acquiring him would also strengthen the 2025 team should that option for a net $4.5 million be picked up.

Aviston’s Trevor Richards has had a solid season for the last place Blue Jays, is a free agent this winter, and offers flexible innings coverage if not much experience in high leverage situations. Richards’s teammate Chad Green, signed through next season, would also make a great deal of sense and has significant postseason experience with the New York Yankees.

A Starting Pitcher

Everyone needs a starter and no one ever has enough pitching. These are the immutable laws of the MLB trade deadline, and despite Andre Pallante’s strong turn since being inserted into the rotation two months ago, the Cardinals are no exception.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported a connection between the Cardinals and White Sox (yet again) regarding Erick Fedde, who has been solid since returning from Korea and is under contract for next season. Fedde doesn’t carry the high-voltage excitement of lefty fireballer Garret Crochet, but he is a more stable solution who also more closely fits the model to which the Cardinals have hewn in the past.

Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi is also likely to be traded, and like Fedde, is under contract for next season at a reasonable rate.

Also a familiar name – Colorado’s Austin Gomber, who would come with two more seasons of team control and may not necessarily be traded, but could almost certainly be stripped away from the hapless Rockies at a reasonable cost.