Cardinals thoughts: Approaching the deadline

Redbird Rants co-editor Steve Ungrey offers his thoughts on what the Cardinals should do prior to the trade deadline on Friday.

While watching the St. Louis Cardinals fall flat against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, all I could think was there will come a time when injuries catch up to this team.

Granted, it may not happen this week, but one or two more trips to the disabled list and the National League Central flag might fly in Pittsburgh instead.

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With the trade deadline approaching on Friday, I have a couple schools of thought about where the Cardinals should go in terms of key acquisitions. Let’s take a look:

Hitting

If the Cardinals need any help at this spot, it’s going to be at first base. Matt Adams‘ slump to start the season, and his subsequent injury, have left the team unprepared at certain spots.

Mark Reynolds has proven why he belongs in a backup role, as he has not shown signs of producing to the point where the Cardinals can hand him a regular job every day.

So what do the Cardinals do? Is Adam Lind a reputable target? He could bolster production at first base. Do the Cardinals go after a bigger bat like Ryan Howard? It’s a balancing act. The Cardinals don’t want to part with talent like Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty or Michael Wacha in a trade. And St. Louis knows teams will want players like these to part with top prospects.

If the club can’t go with a trade, Piscotty may be the best option, but time is of the essence and the team needs him to step up the batting.

Starting pitching

In a short series the threesome of Wacha, Lance Lynn and John Lackey (or Carlos Martinez) would be a fearsome group. A longer series with these four pitchers would have odds in the Cards’ favor. So do the Cardinals need a trade here?

I would say no. It isn’t worth ripping up the roster to get Kyle Lohse for half a season. Maybe if you got David Price or Cole Hamels, but the odds of that happening are low.

Relief

The acquisition of Steve Cishek from the Miami Marlins spelled a need for the Cardinals to take some pressure off of relievers like Seth Maness and Kevin Siegrist.

Trevor Rosenthal has been lights out all season and is in no danger of losing the closer gig. Could the Cardinals nab a former closer to help him out, or is Cishek that candidate?

In all likelihood, the Cardinals might go after another one or two relievers of the middle to late-inning variety.

Final thoughts

Keep an eye on Redbird Rants in the final days leading up to 4 p.m. on Friday, the trade deadline for all 30 clubs.

I just don’t know if the Cardinals will be active on the days leading up to the deadline or on that Friday itself.

With 64 wins in their first 100 games, the team is hard-pressed to find areas of improvement. Time will tell if it happens.