What was thought to be a wonderful move for the Cardinals at the time appears to be a lot worse now.
The St. Louis Cardinals did not make the biggest trade of the deadline, but they did make one of, if not the most exciting, for the simple fact that it included three teams.
The Cardinals teamed forces with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete a seven-player trade. These are the entire terms.
From the Cardinals’ standpoint, the team acquired Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham while sending Tommy Edman to Los Angeles. The Edman inclusion was puzzling, given despite his injuries, he was a very effective utility player for St. Louis, but the Cardinals addressed perhaps their two most pressing needs in this trade.
They needed beginning pitching assistance and found it with Fedde. They needed a bat that could destroy left-handed pitching, and Pham provided just that. Giving up only Edman for both players seems like a good trade.
Unfortunately, hindsight is 20:20. Not only have the Cardinals struggled since the deadline, but the transaction hasn’t aged well.
Cardinals big trade deadline deal does not look good in hindsight
The Cardinals completed the transaction while sitting at 54-51 on the season, just 1.0 game behind the third Wild Card place in the National League. They had overcome a few setbacks, but they were still in contention for a playoff position. Addressing their two most pressing needs will undoubtedly help, right?
After losing their second game in a row against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Cardinals are now 74-74 and 7.0 games behind the third Wild Card berth in the National League as of this writing. They haven’t been mathematically eliminated, but their odds are beyond realistic.
It would have been understandable if the Cardinals had suffered only because their National League opponents were performing exceptionally well. The Cardinals’.500 record following their huge trade is a horrible picture, and it’s not like the players they acquired have done anything.
Fedde, the centerpiece of the transaction, with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts for the White Sox. His ERA has risen to 4.43 in eight starts and 42.2 innings with the Cardinals. He has only pitched six innings twice, and the Cardinals have won just two of his starts. Since joining the Cardinals, his strikeout rate has decreased, while his walk and home run rates have climbed, which is not the best formula.
Tommy Pham started well on his comeback to St. Louis, but he finished with only three hits in his last 39 at-bats before getting DFA’d. To make matters worse, Pham is batting over.300 as of this writing in 11 games with the Royals, frequently leading off for a team that is expected to make the playoffs.
Finally, to add insult to injury, Tommy Edman has sparked the Dodgers, batting over.300 with a.818 OPS in 24 games, and he’s been especially impressive recently, homering four times in a two-game period earlier this week.
To summarize, both Fedde and Pham stepped back following the trade. Pham quickly improved after being DFA’d, while Edman has been excellent with the Dodgers. This is all as the Cardinals have struggled and fallen out of playoff contention.
Fedde does have another year at a very inexpensive $7.5 million, which helps this agreement a little, but make no mistake. The Cardinals did not include Pham in the transaction, intending to release him a month after completion. They did not trade Edman expecting him to perform as well as he has. Fedde will need to improve significantly in 2025 if this pact is to benefit St. Louis any more.
