St Louis Cardinals: Way-too-early trade deadline shopping list

Starting pitcher

After starting the season on the IL and unable to stay off it for long, Miles Mikolas is getting tough to count on in any way this year. The top of the rotation with Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright, Kwang Hyun Kim, and Carlos Martinez has been pretty good (when healthy), but John Gant’s 6.4 walks per nine is not going to be sustainable, despite his current 2.04 ERA.

Picking up a starter at the deadline could return Gant (or even Martinez) to the bullpen where he has been a weapon before, strengthening both areas. Many have already speculated about St. Louisan Max Scherzer, but even as a rental at age 37, he’s pitching like an ace and may not even be available.

While Gant has undeniably gotten good results, an upgrade may not be too hard to find even if it isn’t Scherzer. With 39-year-old Waino in the rotation and Martinez who has already been hurt once, having someone else to count on to eat innings (other than Mikolas) would be a smart acquisition for the Cardinals to go after in July.

In a perfect world, Mikolas gets his stuff together and is able to return to an otherwise healthy rotation, pushing Gant to the bullpen. However, that sequence of events can’t be counted on.