A Cardinals-Marlins trade to help continue St. Louis’ winning ways
The St. Louis Cardinals appear headed in the right direction and this trade for the Marlins closer will push them further that direction.
The St. Louis Cardinals are headed in the right direction, but they’re not out of the storm just yet. They still sit in third place in the NL Central, but they’re only seven games back. To make up this ground, they need to be aggressive at filling the holes on their roster.
One of the biggest holes on the Cards roster is in the bullpen. While St. Louis has good pieces in the bullpen, as a whole, their bullpen ranks seventh worst in the MLB in ERA. The solution to this problem is found on the trade market and it could very well be with the aggressively selling Miami Marlins.
A Cardinals-Marlins trade that sends Tanner Scott to St. Louis to save the bullpen
We all know how good Ryan Helsley is for the Cardinals in that bullpen. The rest of the bullpen? Not as dominant.
Enter Tanner Scott, the closer from the Marlins. Scott is a free agent at the end of this season and could provide a stable lefty in the bullpen.
So far in 2024, Scott has seven saves and an ERA under 2.00, despite showing concerning command issues. If these walks can be calmed, he may be one of the better lefty relievers in the game. The Cardinals need him in their bullpen, even if it’s just a rental piece.
St. Louis Cardinals
RECEIVE
LHP Tanner Scott
Miami Marlins
RECEIVE
RHP Adam Kloffenstein
A trade like this is as simple as Tanner Scott for a pitching prospect in the middle of the team’s top 30 prospects. Scott is just a rental for the Cardinals, so he wouldn’t merit multiple prospects or a top prospect.
Kloffenstein is no slouch though, ranked 16th in the St. Louis farm system. He’s shown the ability to get hitters out in a multitude of ways. His pitch aresenal is pretty developed and his command is improving. Pair him in the Marlins system that’s loaded with young pitching talent and he could blossom.
For the Cardinals, this is worth the loss. They need to improve their bullpen or they’ll never catch Milwaukee. If you’re looking to catch up seven games on a solid team, you can’t be losing games in the 7th, 8th or 9th inning, when you’re ahead.
The bullpen needs help and Tanner Scott is the perfect, rental piece to compliment Ryan Helsley at the end of games. It would also give them two closer options, one of each handedness.
A Cardinals-White Sox trade to bring former fan favorite back to St. Louis
The St. Louis Cardinals could enter “buy mode” in the near future.
May 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago White Sox center fielder Tommy Pham (28) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
For a large part of 2024 thus far, the St. Louis Cardinals were believed to be headed in the direction of selling — as in trading away their expiring contracts and star players to enter a full-scale rebuild.
But they’ve since changed that narrative, completely flipping this season on its head and turning themselves around in the NL Central. As of June 2, St. Louis has caught up to the Cubs and are seven games back of the first-place Brewers.
Nobody wants to stay stagnant at the MLB trade deadline. You either sell or buy. Staying in the middle gets you killed. So, the idea changes for the Cardinals. Gone are the days of trading away stars. Instead, they must make moves for pieces that push them up the ladder of the NL Central.
Perhaps they could trade for an old friend in Tommy Pham.
A Cardinals-White Sox trade to bring Tommy Pham home for a playoff push
Pham began his career in St. Louis, spending his first 4.5 big league seasons there. Since then, he’s become a journeyman, playing for seven teams in six seasons. But St. Louis could bring him home this year, back where it all started, to play a role in their outfield.
The Cardinals outfield is young, but they’ve struggled. Lars Nootbar has been injured recently. Michael Siani and Dylan Carlson have both struggled. They need a veteran presence in the outfield.
St. Louis CardinalsRECEIVE
OF Tommy Pham
Chicago White SoxRECEIVE
OF Zach Levenson
Cash Considerations
A trade for Pham would certainly be relatively cheap. Pham is 36 and on an expiring deal, likely to take the most money he can get when he enters free agency in a few months. Sending a backend top 30 prospect like Zach Levenson and some cash to Chicago would get the deal done and it helps both sides.
Chicago doesn’t need Pham. They could use some more prospect capital, especially by way of bat first outfielder like Levenson.
Levenson has shown true power potential in his limited time in professional baseball. He isn’t the best defender in the outfield, but he tends to make up for it with his bat. There’s no guarantee with a prospect like Levenson, but the bat potential is there.
As for the Cardinals, this would give them the veteran option they need in the outfield for a super cheap price. The risk is almost nothing, as if this doesn’t work out, they keep all their top prospects and their outfield is filled with youth anyway. Worst-case scenario, Pham gets a homecoming that ends without a playoff push.