MLB Rumors: Yankees mistake, Cardinals trade package, Cubs choice

MLB rumors: What it would take for Cardinals to trade for Logan Gilbert

One of the confirmed selling teams at the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline is the St. Louis Cardinals. Their promising second half of the 2022 season resulted in an early postseason exit at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies. Even so, the Cardinals were expected to contend in 2023. Instead, they are 45-57 as of the morning of July 26 and are well out of a Wild Card berth. With that, team president John Mozeliak confirmed that the team plans to sell at the deadline and build toward the future.

But what about adding at the deadline?

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal notes in a recent column (subscription required) that the Cardinals match up with the Seattle Mariners about a potential trade for a young pitcher. Rosenthal brings up starting pitcher as an example. But Rosenthal says that the Mariners would want “a massive haul,” and that a player like outfielder Lars Nootbaar would be “only the starting point” for a trade package.

Seattle asking a lot for Gilbert isn’t necessarily surprising. While he’s a good pitcher, he is also under team control through the 2027 season. That is something that the Cardinals need, considering their struggling starting rotation (4.70 ERA, eighth-worst in MLB, per FanGraphs).

This season, Gilbert recorded a 3.88 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, an 8-5 win-loss record, 116 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 118.1 innings in 20 starts.

As for Nootbaar, he has recorded a .261 batting average, .369 on-base percentage, a .391 slugging percentage, 7 home runs, 29 RBI, 48 runs scored, 68 hits, 68 strikeouts, and 46 walks in 261 at-bats.

It would certainly be quite the addition if it were to come to fruition.