Grading the St. Louis Cardinals’ trade deadline moves

The St Louis Cardinals made two moves at the deadline, acquiring J.A. Happ and Jon Lester, and the general feeling is both were incredibly underwhelming.

When the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Jon Lester and J.A. Happ, two veteran left-handed pitchers, at the trade deadline, the immediate reaction was sheer confusion. Why would they want two veterans in the back nine of their careers when they are unlikely to compete in the National League Central since they enter Monday 9.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers?

Well, the Cardinals needed someone to eat innings and didn’t want to part with any of their top prospects in order to do it. The price for both pitchers was outfielder Lane Thomas and right-hander John Gant, both of whom either would have been designated for assignment or non-tendered at the end of the season.

Yet you can’t help but feel the Cardinals could have gotten someone better or at least someone who offers a different look from the rest of their starters. The current rotation, as outlined by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News, does not have a starter who throws over 90 mph. In the year 2021. That’s bad. How is that even possible?

And it’s not like either pitcher has performed well this season. Lester, 37, has a 5.02 ERA in 16 starts this season, striking out only 51 in 75.1 innings. Happ, meanwhile, is 38 years old and has a 6.77 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 98.1 innings. Both will be able to do what the Cardinals desperately needed: to eat innings. But the odds are strongly in favor that they will not be quality innings.

A large reasoning behind these moves would appear to be clearing roster space in 2022 for players like Johan Oviedo, who has been on a shuttle between Triple-A and the majors all season, and top prospect Matthew Liberatore, who is likely to be in the majors next year. Both Lester and Happ are unlikely to be in St. Louis beyond this season and their roster spots should be filled by two of the most promising young arms of the Cardinals’ future.

It may not be the most attractive deadline, especially since the Cardinals didn’t land a frontline starter or difference-making bat. But it should help them out this year and create roster flexibility going forward. Still, you can’t help but feel underwhelmed by how they went about the deadline, and wonder if the front office already has its eyes on 2022.

Grade: C.