The St. Louis Cardinals are entering the trade deadline in limbo. They have two veteran starting pitchers, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas. Though good moments occasionally come, neither is consistently getting the job done. But when it comes to replacing the incumbents, the Cardinals have several prospects who aren’t quite ready for the big stage.
If the Cardinals can stay within striking distance over the next two weeks, or better yet, take control of a playoff spot... What would they do ahead of the deadline?
The Cardinals should lean into the starting pitching market. The Arizona Diamondbacks look to be headed toward shopping Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, and either one would give the Cardinals a better chance down the stretch. Both could fit the process of adding for this season while not sacrificing significantly from the future, but the Cardinals could have another option on the table.
The Minnesota Twins are three games out of the final Wild Card in the American League, and if they falter leading up to the trade deadline, could place All-Star starting pitcher Joe Ryan on the trade block.
The Cardinals are deep in the minors with pitching, but you can never have too much pitching in today's game, given the frequency of injuries. If the Cardinals were to make a move, they would have to give up one of their minor league arms in the deal, along with a middle-to-low-tier prospect. But Ryan is under control until 2028.
Ryan was just named to the American League All-Star team in place of Houston Astros starter Hunter Brown and has posted a 2.76 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP this season. If Ryan becomes available and the price is right, the Cardinals will have found a starter that they feel good about leaning on in the playoffs alongside Sonny Gray.
Ryan is not guaranteed to be available, but if he is, the Cardinals wouldn’t be the only team interested. Jon Paul Morosi said on MLB Network that multiple teams, including the Boston Red Sox, are keeping tabs on Ryan.
If John Mozeliak wants to go out with a bang and set up Chaim Bloom for future success, then perhaps being aggressive and getting an arm like Ryan should be at the top of his list.