A rare Cubs-Cardinals that actually lets both rivals win the deal

It's very rare for two teams in the same division to get together for a trade during the season. There is so much that could go wrong for the teams that it's not worth it. The players you move could become impact players or even superstars. Then you have to see that player, playing for your rival, often times against you, for years to come.

So more often than not, teams opt out of these inter-division trades. But this year, there could be an exception in the NL Central between the selling Cardinals and the buying Cubs. There's a world, more likely than many consider, where they make a deal for an impact reliever this deadline season.

A rare, interdivision Cubs-Cardinals trade that gives the Cubs the reliever they need

Joel Reuter at Bleacher Report recently reported the most likely players to be traded by each team. Andrew Kittredge was the player that he selected for the Cardinals, and I couldn't agree more.

"He [Kittredge] will be one of the better rental relievers on the trade block this summer if the Cardinals don't make a climb up the standings," Reuter wrote.

The key to this trade is that neither team is going to be willing to give up a player with game changing potential. A team would beat themselves up for years if they were to trade away the next Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr or Gunnar Henderson.

That's exactly what this trade avoids, while keeping the value quite even. The Cubs would get Kittredge, an excellent reliever who's having a great 2024, while St. Louis receives cash and a pitcher prospect that has an electric fastball.

Birdsell, limited in value because of a rich medical history, has shown the ability to be a back of the rotation starter in the near future. That would be the best-case scenario for the Cardinals in this hypothetical scenario.

Kittredge, 34, has shown the ability to be quite the pitcher this year. His ERA is floating around a 2.00 in over 20 innings pitched. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top 10% in baseball in Chase% and Barrel%.

The Cubs could really use the services of Kittredge and the Cardinals could really use another arm in their farm system, paired with a decent chunk of cash. This deal has more of a chance to happen than many probably think.