Cardinals Rumors: Could St. Louis trade Andrew Miller?

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a tough spot heading into the trade deadline. While they won’t fully sell, trading Andrew Miller could be a good idea.

With more than 48 hours to go, there has not been a change in perception that the St. Louis Cardinals will either be minimal buyers at the trade deadline or decide to stand pat. With a 51-50 record and eight games back in the National League Central, they appear unlikely to make the postseason and holding assets and building toward 2022 and beyond appears to be their thinking.

But should the Cardinals consider selling? If they do, and hear me out, it should be minimal. You cannot trade foundational pieces only months after acquiring Nolan Arenado. But it could make sense to consider dealing left-handed reliever Andrew Miller, as Katie Woo of The Athletic suggested, with an abundance of teams looking for relief help.

To be clear, there is no evidence that the Cardinals are receiving trade interest in Miller. But if a contending team came calling, they likely would not hang up the phone. Getting anything of value back for Miller, 36, would be a win for president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, considering Miller has dealt with an assortment of injuries in recent seasons and has a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings this season.

What would especially appeal to teams, especially a contender, is Miller’s extensive postseason experience. He has pitched in 38.2 innings in the playoffs, posting a 0.93 ERA and 54/13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and helped guide Cleveland to Game 7 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

Miller may not be the same pitcher now, of course, but that postseason experience is valuable. And with so many teams looking for relievers, it wouldn’t be surprising if they gauged the Cardinals’ interest in trading Miller, which is why a deal should not be ruled out before the July 30 deadline.

The odds are Miller stays in St. Louis, but at this time of year, nothing should be ruled out.