MLB Insider Robert Murray grades three potential St. Louis Cardinals trade packages as they hope to turn around their rough start.
The St. Louis Cardinals do not pass the vibe check.
They are 9-15 and are 3-7 in their last 10 games, including two gut-wrenching losses against the San Francisco Giants. They need help, and fast, especially in the rotation. And the need is pressing enough for Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak to be motivated to add external help.
With it being so early in the regular season, it’s tough to forecast which players will be available at the deadline. But with the White Sox struggling early, perhaps some teams call about star right-hander Dylan Cease. There figure to be other names mentioned on the trade market, too.
Here are a few trade proposals submitted by FanSided writers to help fix the Cardinals.
Note: It should be noted that none of these trades are necessarily likely to happen right now. We’re simply grading them on viability and fit. The trades are graded on a 1-10 scale based on that criteria.
MLB Rumors – Trade proposal: Cardinals deal Dylan Carlson
H/T: FanSided.com’s Kevin Henry
Robert Murray’s analysis: I don’t see this trade happening. The Cardinals like Carlson and have invested a lot of time and resources in him. Trading him now would represent selling low on him, which is not something I expect them to do.
Yarbrough was non-tendered by the Rays in the offseason and the Cardinals could have signed him as a free agent. He has a 7.62 ERA in seven games this season and hasn’t had an ERA below 4.50 since 2020. Cruz, meanwhile, has a 4.05 ERA in Double-A for the Royals and wouldn’t help at the major-league level this season.
If the Cardinals were to trade Carlson, they’d need much more than this.
Grading the trade package: 2/10.
MLB Rumors – Trade proposal: Cardinals trade for Dylan Cease
H/T: Redbird Rants Josh Jacobs
Robert Murray’s analysis: This trade is interesting. The St. Louis Cardinals are in desperate need of rotation help. The White Sox are 7-18 and appear to be arguably the biggest disappointment in the American League.
Will the Cardinals look for rotation help? Absolutely. They have to. And inquiring on Cease may not be the worst idea.
Cease, 27, is one of the best young pitchers in baseball. He has a 2.73 ERA in five starts this season and is coming off a year in which he posted a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 32 starts. He is not a free agent until 2026, meaning the Cardinals (or any other potential interested team) would get him for three postseason runs.
The problem with that is it makes Cease incredibly expensive to acquire and considering the Cardinals’ unwillingness to deal their top prospects, makes a deal highly unlikely. I like the thought. It’s outside the box. But I don’t see it, especially for a trade package that does not include any of the Cardinals’ top three prospects (Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn and Tink Hence).
Grading the trade package: 4/10.
MLB Rumors – Trade proposal: Cardinals trade away Tyler O’Neill
Robert Murray’s analysis: If Glasnow was healthy, I think this trade has a chance. He’s still recovering from an oblique strain that has sidelined him to open the regular season, though he faced live hitters on Monday, and could return at some point in mid-May.
If he can return and be effective … then we may have something here. But I think a trade that sends Glasnow to St. Louis for O’Neill is unlikely.
Glasnow was a trade candidate last season before signing a two-year, $30.35 million contract extension with the Rays. He’s earning $5.35 million in 2023 and $25 million in 2024, which bought out his first year of free agency. So he won’t be cheap.
The Cardinals have had success with lesser-name additions in years past, with Jon Lester, J.A. Happ and Jose Quintana all being strong additions at the last two trade deadlines. While I think Glasnow would the best and most meaningful upgrade of all those players, I don’t see it happening. The salary next year is among the reasons it’ll be tough to pull off.
Grading the trade package: 6/10.