An emergency Cardinals-Mets trade to get Andre Pallante out of the rotation

If the St. Louis Cardinals want to truly make a push for the playoffs this season, then buying sooner rather than later in regards to the forthcoming MLB Trade Deadline may certainly be in their best interest. We've seen previously that beating any type of real trade market can work out better for the buyers in terms of the price tag but, crucially, the Cardinals also need some immediate help.

The big issue right now for St. Louis is the fifth spot in the rotation. Sonny Gray has been a stud as the staff's ace while newcomers Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have joined Miles Mikolas in playing their role as the reliable veteran arm in the rotation. However, the fifth starter spot has been a revolving door, one most recently addressed with Andre Pallante taking the bump.

While the 25-year-old Pallante still has upside as a young hurler, he simply hasn't delivered when given the ball. On Saturday after the Cardinals had taken sole control of the final NL Wild Card spot, he got hit around by the rival Cubs in a 5-1 loss, getting pulled after giving up five hits and ultimately allowing two runs (one earned) in just 3.1 innings of work.

Overall this season while seeing work as both a starter and reliever, Pallante's performance has been unfortunately commensurate with the struggles we saw a season ago, posting a 4.88 ERA and 1.583 WHIP over 24.0 innings of work. If the Cardinals are serious about making a real push for the postseason, then they need to fix this issue.

And the New York Mets could possibly provide the immediate answer.

A Cardinals-Mets trade that replaces Andre Pallante with Luis Severino

While the Mets are experiencing a surge of their own right now to possibly flirt with playoff contention, the general expectation remains that New York will sell. If that indeed is the case, one of the most obvious players to be moved could be veteran right-hander Luis Severino. He signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets this offseason and could be a rental to net New York some more prospects for a rebuild.

But Severino's status as a rental obviously means that the price won't be too high, something that John Mozeliak would love. That's especially true if he could make a deal such as this one.

Given the age of many of the Cardinals starts -- namely the likes of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado -- keeping the top youth in the farm system should be a priority in any trade. Thus, being able to move Dylan Carlson and Andre Granillo could make a ton of sense while also benefitting the Mets.

Even amid New York's struggles the past two seasons, Steve Cohen remains adamant that the team will try to compete and contend in 2025. As such, they'll be looking for players who could likely contribute sooner rather than later, which are boxes that Carlson and Granillo both check.

The Cardinals have had high hopes for Carlson since he made his MLB debut at 20 years old in the 2020 season. However, he's never fully put it all together outside of the 2021 season. Injuries and inconsistencies have plagued the now-25-year-old, which has largely limited his role in a crowded outfield, especially in relation to St. Louis' farm system. But with his age and flashes, the Mets could believe that a change of scenery could help him realize his potential.

Granillo might be the key here. He's only the No. 26 prospect in the Cards system according to MLB Pipeline, but the 24-year-old has looked phenomenal in Triple-A after being promoted earlier this year, posting a 1.04 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over seven appearances and 8.2 innings of work. He could be an arm on track to see the majors next season, which would, again, be what the Mets are looking for.

And in turn, the Cardinals would get a proven commodity in Severino, a player who has a 3.12 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 13 starts, including six Quality Starts on the year. He's been the goods as a veteran on this staff, and he would absolutely shore up the St. Louis rotation 1-through-5 in a major way that could solidify their status as a playoff team.