According to a new rumor, the St. Louis Cardinals were anticipated to land a former All-Star pitcher who was put on the trading block days before last month’s trade deadline.
Entering today’s MLB games, the Cards are fighting for the final slot in the National League Wild Card standings. The squad is four games out and has a good chance of securing one of the coveted berths following a couple of significant arrivals last month.
In a big three-team trade, St. Louis was able to address their right-handed hitting concerns while also strengthening their starting rotation. They acquired veteran outfielder Tommy Pham and pitcher Erik Fedde from the White Sox in the trade. In exchange, they shipped out youngster Oliver Gonzalez and utility player Tommy Edman.
St. Louis Cardinals were likely landing spot in potential Nestor Cortes trade
However, it appears the St. Louis Cardinals were on the point of trading Edman for a one-time All-Star from the New York Yankees. This week, USA Today MLB source Bob Nightengale reported the Yankees were close to trading Nestor Cortes if they had acquired Jack Flaherty. And St. Louis was thought to be the final destination in a prospective transaction.
The Yankees decided against trading for Flaherty after reviewing his latest medical checks. The veteran pitcher has fought with back troubles throughout the 2024 season, but it does not appear to have hampered his performance. Cortes has become disposable after two lackluster seasons following his All-Star performance in 2022.
Fedde gave up five runs in five innings in the team’s inaugural loss on Friday.
