1 trade every NL Central team can make to keep up with Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't letting the trade deadline pass without a splash. According to Ken Rosenthal (and a variety of follow-up reports), the Cards have acquired Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham in a wild three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.

The redbirds are killing two birds with one stone in this trade, acquiring an impact outfield bat and adding to the front line of their rotation. Fedde figures to slot in as St. Louis' No. 2 starter behind Sonny Gray. He will, without a doubt, pitch high-leverage postseason games if the Cards can make it to October. Pham has been a rare source of dependability at the plate for the ailing White Sox, slashing .266/.330/.380 with five home runs in 271 ABs.

As the Cards push toward the postseason, the rest of the NL Central will aim to keep up. There isn't a more tightly contested division in baseball. The bottom-dwelling Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs are within 10 games of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers; second-place St. Louis and the third-place Pittsburgh Pirates are six and seven games out of first place, respectively.

Every team in the central division has distinct strengths and areas of crippling weakness. The Cards are addressing their points of vulnerability. We've already seen the Cubs add All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes. Now, it's time for the collective to follow St. Louis' lead and gear up, because the arms race is on, and all five teams have a realistic path to the playoffs.

Let's concoct one reasonable trade for each of the Cards' division rivals.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Pirates trade for Angels' utilityman Lucas Rengifo

Paul Skenes' meteoric breakthrough has equipped the Pirates with a daunting rotation. Fellow rookie Jared Jones has been spectacular in his own right, giving Pittsburgh what could be the league's best 1-2 punch on the mound for the next decade. Pittsburgh is going to get outs, no problem. The issue is punishing opposing pitchers.

The Pirates' offense has been a slog all season. There are moments of electricity, primarily supplied by the hard-hitting Oneil Cruz and All-Star Bryan Reynolds, but on balance Pittsburgh has the worst offense in the central division. That won't cut it if the Pirates want to claim a Wild Card spot and take this thing to the next level. And, frankly, Skenes' arrival means there's no time to waste. These fireballing pitchers don't always last forever and Skenes is good enough to prop the competitive window up sooner than expected.

Los Angeles Angels utilityman Luis Rengifo has been widely reported as a trade deadline target for several contenders. The Angels are in teardown mode, once again finding unique ways to disappoint their fanbase amid Mike Trout's ceaseless injury plague. Rengifo won't top headlines, but he's having an extremely productive season at the plate and he's comfortable lining up all over the infield.

The Pirates could use a consistent bat at second base. Rengifo becomes an everyday contributor with the ability to supply depth behind the likes of Cruz at shortstop or Ke'Bryan Hayes at third base when called upon. In 273 ABs this season, Rengifo has six home runs, 30 RBI, and 23 stolen bases with an impressive .300/.348/.421 line.

He's not going to light up the scoreboard with homers, but Rengifo gets on base. He's extremely disciplined at the plate, hardly ever striking out, and he would set up the more explosive bats in the middle of Pittsburgh's lineup. This is exactly the sort of deal Pittsburgh needs to be gunning for over the next 24-odd hours.

Reds trade for Athletics DH Brent Rooker

Oakland Athletics DH Brent Rooker appears relatively secure ahead of the trade deadline, but stranger things have happened. It's clear the A's are not to be taken seriously as a franchise, so if the Reds come with a strong enough offer, odds are Oakland will consider it. Rooker, 29, is among the most underrated sluggers in baseball. He would have a profound impact on the Reds' feeble offense.

Rooker was an All-Star last season and he was on the shortlist of snubs in 2024. Through 93 games and 326 ABs, Rooker is batting .296 with a stellar .957 OPS, bashing 25 home runs with 75 RBI. Few players in the league are swinging the bat as well right now. Cincinnati, ranked 28th in hits and 15th in home runs, would immediately spike up the offensive leaderboard with Rooker raking in the middle of their lineup.

Cincinnati is widely viewed as the most likely "seller" in the NL Central, but a trade for former Seattle Mariners All-Star Ty France on Monday signals a potential curveball in approach from Nick Krall and the front office. The Reds aren't out of the Wild Card race yet and the right aggressive move — such as adding the hottest bat nobody's talking about — could really put Cincinnati on the map.

The combined star-power of Rooker and Elly De La Cruz would give Reds fans something to cheer about on a nightly basis. Rooker has his limitations, primarily in the field (he's DH-exclusive before his 30th birthday), but so long as he's hitting remotely close to his current level, there's not much for Cincinnati to worry about.

Under team control through 2027, Rooker is on an affordable contract for the next three seasons. He'd be a real building block for this Reds team.

Brewers trade for Tigers ace Jack Flaherty

Despite the competitiveness of this NL Central race, the Brewers are still in pole position by a comfortable margin. Craig Counsell who? The Brewers ought to feel good about the current roster, but the division isn't getting easier down the stretch, and Milwaukee still lacks top-end talent when compared to the Phillies, Dodgers, and other NL contenders.

The obvious area of need is starting pitching. The Brewers dealt Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for prospects in the offseason. Luis Ortiz has experienced a pleasantly impactful rookie breakthrough, but D.L. Hall — the other leg of Milwaukee's return haul, and a highly touted young pitcher — has unsurprisingly failed to fill the colassal shoes left unoccupied by Burnes.

Milwaukee generally doesn't burn top-dollar on pitchers (see: Corbin Burnes trade), but an affordable rental could help the Brewers gear up for the stretch run. Detroit Tigers ace Jack Flaherty is the best rental on the market, freshly scratched for his scheduled start on Monday and very much available to the highest bidder.

His 2023 postseason struggles could spook some suitors, but Flaherty has made noticeable strides this season. He has made for one heck of a No. 2 starter behind Tarik Skubal in Detroit, posting a 2.95 ERA and .96 WHIP through 18 starts and 106.2 innings pitched. Flaherty is missing bats, going deep into games, and looking every bit the part of a needle-moving arm ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

The Brewers probably wouldn't keep Flaherty beyond this season, but even as a short-term stopgap, Flaherty could mean the difference between another premature postseason bow-out and a deep run under first-time manager Pat Murphy.

Cubs trade for Rockies catcher Elias Diaz

So, the Cubs aren't in the mood for rentals. Jed Hoyer has said as much publicly. And yet, after trading for Isaac Paredes and Nate Pearson, is sure feels like the Cubs are on track for a strong finish to the season. Adding an impact bat that doesn't require sacrificing top prospects should appeal to Chicago's front office, especially if it comes at a position of need.

For all his long-term upside, 25-year-old Miguel Amaya clearly isn't ready for full-time reps behind home plate. The Cubs' sophomore catcher is batting .216 with a troubling .578 OPS through 74 appearances and 199 ABs. Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies are far removed from the postseason picture. That leaves veteran catcher and 2023 All-Star Game MVP Elias Diaz — in the final year of his contract, worth $6.5 million — very much available.

There is a scarcity of elite catchers in the MLB. Diaz is a rock-solid defender, equipped with a canon arm and excellent metrics. His pop time, framing, and caught stealing rate are all 85th percentile or above. The Cubs love a solid defender. And, more importantly, Diaz is a reliable hitter. He can slot in as Chicago's everyday starter behind home plate. It's tough to learn a new bullpen midseason, but Diaz appears capable of it. He's batting .275 with a .713 OPS for the Rockies, including five home runs and 31 RBI through 265 ABs.

He's not the most explosive power threat, but Diaz has an efficient swing that produces consistent results. He sees the baseball well, limits strikeouts, and gets on base. That's all Chicago can ask from an Amaya replacement. And, thinking long term, there's still reason to believe Amaya can succeed Diaz next season.

Again, Chicago probably doesn't go for the 33-year-old rental. But, Amaya could use a mentor and Diaz would meaningfully improve the Cubs' lineup as Paredes joins the fray. Cody Bellinger will be back eventually. The Cubs can still make something happen here.