One of the most fascinating buy or sell teams at the trade deadline is the St. Louis Cardinals.
At 52-49, the Cardinals have a competitive ball club firmly in the National League Wild Card mix. However, catching either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs feels unlikely, and even if St. Louis does reach the postseason, a deep run through this gauntlet NL is a tall ask.
Should the Cardinals look to ship some pieces at the end of the month, one potential option is starting pitcher Erick Fedde.
Here is what Katie Woo of The Athletic had to say about Fedde:
“The Cardinals are shopping starting pitcher Fedde and will continue to do so regardless of whether they buy or sell…That’s why Fedde will remain in the rotation for the time being. Starting pitching remains a dire need for many contending teams, and though Fedde’s 3-9 record and 4.93 ERA aren’t particularly attractive, his health is. Fedde’s value lies in his availability, and he has yet to miss a start this year. If the Cardinals suddenly begin skipping his starts, opposing teams might start raising some red flags.”
Fedde, 32, is a reliable albeit middle-of-the-pack starter with a 4.83 ERA, a 4.96 FIP, and 58 strikeouts to 46 walks over 98 and 2/3 innings this year. He is not the marquee rotation addition some contenders might hope for, but he can eat innings and take some of the stress off other starters down the stretch.
Fedde is on an expiring contract and would not garner a significant return, but teams with World Series aspirations can get desperate, and St. Louis should be willing to reset its timeline a little bit.
