Cardinals rumors: 3 All-Stars not named Juan Soto to trade for at the deadline

1. Gregory Soto

It’s definitely not the Soto Cardinals fans really want, but it’s the one they really need.

The 27-year-old lefty for the Detroit Tigers is 2-4 with 18 saves over 33 games and 31.1 innings pitched. He has a 2.59 ERA with 32 strikeouts. He has a ground ball rate of 45.7%. It’s easy to imagine those stats improving in front of a Gold Glove defense.

Soto uses a four seam fastball, sinker, slider and a changeup. The changeup has been his putaway pitch. At an average of 92.7 mph, the pitch has a 23.7-inch vertical drop. The fastball averages 98.6 mph with a 14.6-inch vertical drop and an active spin of 94%.

The Cardinals bullpen is in desperate need of assistance with the starting rotation struggling to get substantial innings. Moving him into a closer role would allow the rest of the bullpen to find their role and some success.

Fans will give the front office some grief for making the move to get Gregory Soto and not Juan Soto, but most Cardinal fans know the team is in desperate need of pitching. While Juan would be a fun addition, Gregory is the one that can bring fun for a team struggling for pitching down the final stretch.