3 Cardinals trade targets to already dream about and 1 to definitely avoid

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 03: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Max Scherzer #21 of the New York Mets in action against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on September 03, 2022 in New York City. The Nationals defeated the Mets 7-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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Max Scherzer, New York Mets (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

St. Louis Cardinals Trade Target: Max Scherzer

It may be a long shot, but Scherzer is a native of St. Louis and has previously expressed interest in joining the Cards. It would be great to see a hometown guy play for the team. But. He is in the second season of a three-year contract worth $130 million. He can opt-out after this season.

Scherzer was suspended recently for allegedly using a sticky substance and is currently listed as day-to-day with neck spasms.

After five games, Scherzer is 2-2 with a 5.56 ERA over 22.2 innings. Scherzer has 20 strikeouts and a called strike + whiff rate of 28.1%. He primarily uses a four-seam fastball, which averages 93.1 mph, and a slider, which averages 84 mph. While his pitches induce 24.2 percent of the time, he isn’t the typical pitcher the Cards would try to get for their rotation. But, their pitch to contact doesn’t appear as successful as it once was. It would be great to see a pitcher for the Cardinals who can throw strikes throughout multiple innings per game. Scherzer could be that stepping stone to a new type of Cardinals pitcher.

The Mets are 18-19 and tied for third place in the NL East. Scherzer will not be dealt if the Mets get on a winning streak, as the team will want to keep Scherzer and Justin Verlander together for any possible playoff run. If the Mets are out of it and they sense Scherzer could opt out after this season, then you could see Mets owner Steve Cohen make a play for a trade to at least get something in exchange for Scherzer. While it may not be likely, it could be exciting.

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