3 prospects Cardinals could trade for Max Scherzer at the trade deadline
By John Buhler
Pick Analysis. LHP. 2. 33. Scouting Report. St. Louis Cardinals. Matthew Liberatore. player
Trading away top prospect Matthew Liberatore means this is serious business
If the Cardinals are serious about trading for Scherzer at the deadline, they will have to ask themselves internally if shipping away their top prospect in left-handed starter Matthew Liberatore is worth it. St. Louis received Liberatore in a blockbuster deal last year with the Tampa Bay Rays that saw last October’s breakout star Randy Arozarena going to the 2020 AL champions.
The 21-year-old southpaw is Triple-A teammates with Thompson in Memphis. He has made six starts for the Redbirds this season, posting a 4.26 ERA and a 1.263 WHIP. Like Thompson, Liberatore projects as major-league ready at some point next season. Given that he was taken No. 16 overall out of high school in 2018, this is the type of pitcher Washington should be asking for.
What separates Liberatore from Thompson is three-fold. One, he is the No. 28 overall prospect in baseball, as well as the best player the Cardinals farm system has right now. Two, he is two years younger than Thompson. And three, his fastball is better than Thompson’s, while their curveballs are comparable. If the Cardinals offer Liberatore, that means they are very serious about Scherzer.
Given that St. Louis has enough pitching issues already, what if they were to offer something else?