Cardinals receive high marks from MLB insider for deadline moves

The trade deadline has officially come and gone.

Teams in the mix have added key pieces to their rosters in hopes of making a push for the postseason, while those out of contention have traded pieces away to set themselves up for the future.

In his recent column in The Athletic, Jim Bowden gave each team a grade for their deadline moves, and he had high praise for the St. Louis Cardinals.

"The Cardinals' goal entering the trade deadline was to add a controllable veteran starting pitcher, and they accomplished it when they acquired Erick Fedde in the three-team trade," Bowden wrote on Tuesday. "They also wanted another veteran right-handed bat and got Tommy Pham thrown in the same deal."

St. Louis was indeed very busy at the deadline. Fedde gives them the controllable rotation arm they were searching for, while also giving them a better chance to chase down the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. As part of the three-way trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis gave up Tommy Edman.

In addition to the deal that landed them Pham and Fedde, St. Louis acquired right-hander Shawn Armstrong from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Dylan Carlson.

St. Louis needed a bullpen arm to take the pressure off of Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge, and JoJo Romero, and they filled all three needs.

Now, the Cardinals will prepare for the stretch run of the 2024 season. They'll face several tough teams, including the Dodgers, Brewers, Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners.

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