3 St. Louis Cardinals on the chopping block after shocking 3-team trade

While the rest of MLB had been making moves as if their lives depended on it, John Mozeliak was sitting back waiting for the right deal to transpire. St. Louis Cardinals fans might not have enjoyed that, but they'll be sure to give Mozeliak an apology after the masterpiece he just pulled off.

The Cardinals acquired both Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham while giving up Tommy Edman. That's it. Losing Edman is not nothing, but the Cardinals got a capable arm for their rotation (who has another year of control) and acquired Pham, a solid outfielder who has crushed left-handed pitching this season. Getting both of them for only Edman is a huge win for the Redbirds.

As fun as a trade like that is, it does mean that the Cardinals' roster will have a new look in the coming days. These three players are presumably on the chopping block.

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

3) Kyle Leahy will be sent down if the Cardinals add to their bullpen

The Cardinals addressed two major needs with this trade, acquiring a starting pitcher to slot behind Sonny Gray and an outfielder who can hit left-handed pitching. One other area they can look to upgrade is one that every contender does this time of year, and that's their bullpen.

The Cardinals' bullpen has been the team's most consistent strength all season and currently ranks ninth in the majors with a 3.66 ERA, but if there's an opportunity to add another arm, they should. It doesn't have to be a Tanner Scott-level arm, but they'd benefit by adding another one. Assuming they do, Kyle Leahy is an easy one to send down.

Leahy has pitched well when given the chance, posting a 3.90 ERA in 19 appearances and 32.1 innings of work this season, but he doesn't provide anything that the Cardinals need. They have a long relief options in Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante. Chris Roycroft, another optionable reliever, has been better for much of the season and has been used more as another. Unfortunately, the deck is stacked against Leahy having a permanent spot in 2024.

2) Matthew Liberatore should lose his roster spot thanks to Erick Fedde's arrival

Erick Fedde entering the rotation means someone's spot is in jeopardy. As ideal as it would be for that someone to be Miles Mikolas who has an ERA hovering around 5.00, the likely scenario here is that Andre Pallante has lost his spot.

It isn't a fair outcome as Pallante has posted a 3.42 ERA in his nine starts since being inserted into the rotation full-time, but his lack of a track record as a starting pitcher hurts him. Adding Fedde, a valuable piece for this season and next, is a huge win for St. Louis.

With that being said, though, the Cardinals can simply move Pallante into the bullpen where he has worked well in the past. Doing so would presumably bump Matthew Liberatore down to the minors. Liberatore has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but also has a 7.06 ERA in his last 11 appearances. Pallante has pitched so well to the point where he deserves to stay.

Keeping Pallante stretched out as a starter in the minors is another option they could go with, but if we're talking about the Cardinals rostering the best 26 players, making an argument for Liberatore over Pallante would not be easy.

1) Dylan Carlson's Cardinals tenure feels all but over after the Tommy Pham acquisition

The easiest departure to predict as the fall-out from this trade is the end of Dylan Carlson's Cardinals tenure. This is extremely disappointing considering Carlson's former top prospect status, but it simply hasn't worked at the MLB level.

The 25-year-old has never hit much at the MLB level but his bat has never been as bad as it has been in 2024. He's slashing .198/.275/.240 and does not have a single home run in 138 plate appearances. His one calling card offensively in the past was his ability to hit lefties but Carlson has an uninspiring .556 OPS against southpaws this season. Pham will provide a major upgrade.

Carlson's best attribute was his defense, but even that has taken a step back this season. Baseball Savant has the outfielder at -5 OAA, which is pretty brutal.

With Michael Siani providing as much defensive value as he has and Pham's ability to hit lefties now in the mix, the writing is on the wall for Carlson. He has options, but the Cardinals might be wise to just see if a team is willing to buy low and give Carlson a fresh start elsewhere. That'd be beneficial for all parties involved.