A Cardinals–White Sox trade to solve the fifth starter problem

The St. Louis Cardinals have come out of nowhere to fight their way back into contention.

After a dreadful 15-24 start, one that was eerily reminiscent of their 2023 start, St. Louis has gone on to win 12 of their last 15 games and reach the .500 mark for the first time since April 16. They also are now in sole possession of second place in the NL Central.

However, there are still issues that need to be solved, namely the fifth spot in their starting rotation.

Fortunately, the Chicago White Sox have some valuable pieces in Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde that could help St. Louis out. Jon Heyman notes that these two are the White Sox most valuable trade pieces.

A White Sox-Cardinals trade to solve St. Louis' fifth starter issue

It's obvious that the Cardinals need some rotation help. By the time the trade deadline comes around, they'll likely need a bigger piece to go along with Sonny Gray if they stay hot and are still in the mix. But somebody like Crochet could be a temporary stopgap to get them by until the deadline.

Left-hander Steven Matz is on the injured list with a back issue, and St. Louis is currently without a left-handed starter in its rotation. Matz also has not performed well this season, posting a 6.18 ERA in six starts.

At just 24 years of age, Crochet has shown plenty of promise. In 12 starts, the left-hander is 5-5 with a 3.68 ERA.

Roby and Robberse are the No. 4 and No. 12 prospects in the Cardinals' system, respectively. They could help the White Sox further replenish their farm system and could even be ready to make an impact towards the end of the season.

Both right-handers were picked up last year at the trade deadline, with Roby coming from the Texas Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery deal and Robberse coming from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Jordan Hicks.

Crochet could help St. Louis stabilize its rotation until the trade deadline when better starters could potentially be available and give them a chance to add another top-level arm.

Of course, everything depends on if the Cardinals can remain in contention and keep their hot streak going. The White Sox are obviously going to be sellers this year at the deadline, but things aren't so clear with the Cardinals. If they stay hot, they should ultimately be buyers at this year's deadline.