MLB Rumors: Could St. Louis Cardinals trade for David Price or James Shields?

The St. Louis Cardinals, despite a mildly rocky start to the season are still in contention in the National League Central sitting two games above .500 and continue to creep up on the division leading Milwaukee Brewers.

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Blessed with not only impressive Major League talent but a glutton of minor league prospects, it’s the belief of some that the Cardinals will attempt to make a big splash come the July trade deadline.

What type of move, you ask? Likely for pitching, at least according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports who suggests the Cardinals have enough to secure one of the better arms on the market which could include David Price or James Shields.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 12th in the NL in runs and last in homers. Their bullpen, while sixth in opponents’ OPS and second in the predictive Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), also might require help. Yet, it still could make sense for the Cardinals to pursue a starter such as the Rays’ David Price or Royals’ James Shields, assuming one or both become available.

Because, why not?

The Cardinals are so deep in young, major-league-ready talent they can land practically any player they want before July 31. Adding a third top-of-the-rotation type behind Wainwright and Wacha would make them that much more formidable, and the Cardinals can get one for players who — for them — essentially are spare parts.

The National League playoff race is set to be no joke as the Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves all look like formidable opponents while the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates lurk. Adding another top of the line starter to an already solid rotation makes a ton of sense for the Cardinals, though, they’re likely to have significant competition for such arms.

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