The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a rough patch. They were recently swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates and suffered two blowout losses at the hands of the Chicago Cubs.
They are now 6 1/2 games back in the National League Central, and while they remain in the mix for a Wild Card spot, they may be better off selling at the trade deadline.
Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that they may be hesitant to trade Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz, but that they could still trade a starting pitcher.
Woo notes that right-hander Erick Fedde is the most logical trade chip from the rotation, despite his recent struggles.
"If they aren’t going to move a high-profile reliever, could they move a veteran starting pitcher? That would create an easy segway to bring [Michael] McGreevy up permanently, and the Cardinals could likely capitalize on a return. They wouldn’t trade Sonny Gray (who has a full no-trade clause anyway). Miles Mikolas also has a full no-trade clause and is highly unlikely to waive it. That leaves Erick Fedde, who is in the final year of a two-year, $15 million deal," Woo wrote.
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Fedde lasted just 1 1/3 innings on Sunday night against the Cubs, allowing three runs. He is now 3-9 with a 4.79 ERA, and his spot in the starting rotation isn't secure.
Still, a team may be willing to overpay for a rental arm, which would allow the Cardinals to bring back a decent prospect or two to restock the farm system. Trading Fedde would also open up a rotation spot for prospect Michael McGreevy.
Fedde is a free agent at the end of the year and likely will not be back in 2026. A mid-rotation starter on a cheap, expiring deal could be of interest to a contender that might be desperate for an arm.
But the Cardinals need to focus on the future, not contending in 2025. This is one way for them to prepare for 2026 and beyond, and for Chaim Bloom to take over for John Mozeliak.
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