With the appropriate moves at the trade deadline, the Cardinals have a shot to make the playoffs.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been a nice surprise this season. The Cardinals enter the All-Star break four games above.500 and just 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, keeping them in the middle of the division chase.
St. Louis, once thought to be MLB trade deadline sellers, now occupies the second National League Wild Card slot. As the Cardinals prepare for a second-half surge and a potential playoff push, some areas require improvement.
Like most teams, the Cardinals could benefit from more power and another starting pitcher. However, with St. Louis unlikely to pursue the biggest names on the market and launch a bidding war with big market teams, it’s critical to locate value.
Now that the postseason is within reach, the Cardinals may look for cost-effective agreements that do not deplete the farm system. With that in mind, here are three sneaky trade deadline targets for the Cardinals to explore.
The Cardinals should grab outfielder Jesse Winker
The Nationals acquired Winker on the cheap following an injury-plagued 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 61 games last year, he hit one home run and drove in 23 runs, having an OPS+ of 58.
Due to his poor production, the Nationals were able to sign Winker to a one-year, $2 million contract in the offseason. So far this season, Winker has avoided injury and returned well at the plate. In 94 games, he has 18 doubles, 11 home runs, 43 RBI, a 133 OPS+, and 2.1 WAR.
Winker could play corner outfield for the Cardinals and provide regular offensive production, as well as occasionally filling in as the team’s designated hitter. He’d be a significant upgrade for St. Louis as they prepare for the playoffs.
With a handful of quality hitters projected to be available at the deadline, Winker has slipped under the radar. However, he might be a good option for teams who miss out on players such as the Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. and the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso. And it’s quite possible that the Nationals will elect to trade Winker in order to recoup some of the value of an expiring deal in the midst of a losing season.
With nine games under.500, the Nationals trail the Philadelphia Phillies by 18.5 games in the NL East. Washington has fallen six games behind in the Wild Card race, and six clubs now stand between the Nationals and a playoff spot.
Given their predicament, the organization should be inclined to unload players who will become free agents in 2025. A modest bundle of possibilities may be sufficient to sign Winker, and his $2 million 2024 salary is quite cheap for a competent second-half rental.
Rescue Oakland outfielder JJ Bleday
Picking at the Oakland A’s corpse is almost cruel. But there’s no denying how disastrous 2024 has been for the squad. The Oakland Athletics are presently 24 games below.500 and 15 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League’s poorest division. Things are considerably bleaker for Oakland in the Wild Card race, with the A’s sitting 17.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Even claiming that the team is going nowhere is debatable, considering the A’s intend to relocate to Sacramento next season before eventually relocating to Las Vegas. It’s been a tough season for A’s supporters.
Make no mistake: the Oakland Athletics will be stripped for components at the trade deadline as they try another rebuild. Despite their dismal record, the A’s have several appealing components to offer contending clubs in return for prospects.
Brent Rooker’s secret has been revealed after he swatted his way to the All-Star break, hitting three home runs and six RBI. The 29-year-old has 21 home runs and 62 RBI this season, with an OPS+ of 169 and 3.1 WAR in 83 games. If the A’s trade Rooker at the deadline, he may spark a bidding war among power-hungry teams, especially since his 2024 salary is only $750K and he’s under club control until 2026.
So going after Rooker isn’t really subtle. He’s raking this season, and he hit 30 home runs the previous year. However, if the Cardinals are unable to complete a Rooker trade, Oakland’s JJ Bleday would be a welcome consolation prize.
Bleday, like Winker, would serve as an outfield boost. This season, he has mostly played center, but he can also play corner outfield. And he can add some pop to the Cardinals’ lineup. Bleday had 25 doubles, 11 home runs, a.420 slugging percentage, and an OPS+ of 111 heading into the All-Star break. He has 1.8 WAR in 96 games.
Bleday is also under contract with the organization until 2027, making him more than just a rental in the second half. This season, the 26-year-old earns $745K and has the potential to become a long-term starter for St. Louis at a very inexpensive price.
Pick a starting pitcher from the Texas Rangers
While the Rangers have not given up on the 2024 season and appear to be fighting to the last end, the team remains under.500 and is five games behind the Mariners in the AL West. They’re 7.5 games back in the Wild Card race and would need to pass five clubs to get one of the postseason slots.
If the Rangers start losing after the All-Star break, they may decide to trade some key players. Texas has a couple of starting pitchers with expiring contracts that it could trade at the deadline. St. Louis would benefit from acquiring Andrew Heaney as a mid-rotation starter.
In 19 outings with the Rangers this season, the 33-year-old Heaney has a 3.79 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 95 innings. He is in the final year of his contract with Texas and will make $13 million this season before becoming free agency in 2025.
Michael Lorenzen is another solid option for the Cardinals. Lorenzen, 32, has a 3.52 ERA in 16 starts this season, an ERA+ of 112, and 1.6 WAR in 92 innings. He’ll earn a decent $4.5 million in 2024 before becoming a free agency the following season.
Either starter would significantly improve St. Louis’ rotation, protect the bullpen, and help the team make the playoffs. However, if the Cardinals want to spend big, they should target Nathan Eovaldi.
The two-time All-Star has made 16 starts for the Rangers this season, posting a 2.97 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, an ERA+ of 133, and 2.5 WAR while striking out 92 batters in 94 innings.
Eovaldi is a step above the other Rangers choices since he would be a frontline starter for the Cardinals and might help lead them to the postseason, as he did for Texas last year. However, the 34-year-old hurler is not inexpensive. He’s earning $16 million this season and has a $20 million option for following year before becoming a free agent in 2026.
Furthermore, several teams may be interested in the pitcher, increasing the asking price. However, he is likely to be less expensive than high-end deadline chips such as the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet or the Toronto Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt. The Rangers’ mid-tier starters make a lot of sense, but if the Cardinals want to make a trade deadline statement, Eovaldi is an excellent choice.
