St. Louis Cardinals: 5 Unexplored Pitching Trades

Carlos Carrasco

Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Carrasco doesn’t get the kind of attention Corey Kluber gets, but the former has emerged as a potential ace candidate who could do great things if traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. Two years ago, the Cleveland Indians moved Carrasco to the pen to figure things out. He streamlined his mechanics and dominated.

The Tribe then moved him back into the rotation at the end of 2014, and his very good four-pitch mix, including a mid-to-high-90s heater, kept on baffling hitters. That success carried over into 2015.

The Indians have a lot of good pitching. Forget Kluber, the 2014 Cy Young Award winner. Danny Salazar, a 25-year-old righthander, led the staff with a 3.45 ERA. Former first-round pick Trevor Bauer has yet to harness his command in the big leagues but has dominant stuff and is still just 24 years old.

So Cleveland can afford to trade a starter if they choose to. The St. Louis Cardinals should for Carrasco, whose 1.07 WHIP last year was just behind Kluber’s 1.05. Both totals were among the lowest in all the Major Leagues. Carrasco is 28 years old, but he may be on the cusp of making a big leap next year.

Next: Stephen Strasburg