Evaluating Chris Bassitt as St. Louis Cardinals trade target

As the St. Louis Cardinals reportedly look at starting pitchers, let’s evaluating Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt as a potential trade target.

With recent reports that the St. Louis Cardinals would like to add another starting pitcher, who might they target?

The free agent market has been thinned out with Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray, Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman signing before the lockout. If the Cardinals seek an impact starting pitcher, their best option may be to look at the trade market, and it’s once again worth looking at the Oakland A’s, who I termed as an ideal trade partner earlier in the offseason.

We previously looked at Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, who will be two of the most coveted trade assets once the lockout is lifted. But this time, we will focus on right-hander Chris Bassitt, who MLB Trade Rumors listed as a speculative option, reasoning that he will be two of their most expensive members of an increasingly pricey arbitration class.

Specifically, MLBTR projects Bassitt to make $8.9 million in arbitration next season. It’s a high figure and may be out of the Cardinals’ comfort zone, especially with Adam Wainwright earning $17.5 million in 2021. That’s not to mention that the Cardinals already have five starting pitchers and adding another arm to the rotation isn’t exactly a pressing need, especially with top pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore set to debut in 2022.

But Bassitt, 32, is a very talented pitcher with a proven track record in MLB and pairing him with Wainwright and Jack Flaherty atop the rotation would give the Cardinals a strong trio of starters. He posted a 3.15 ERA and a 159/39 strikeout-to-walk ratio last season with the A’s and has a 3.47 ERA in seven career seasons. He has had an ERA of 3.15 or less in three of the last four seasons, including a 2.29 ERA in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.

The price to acquire Bassitt figures to be high – a pitcher of his caliber will have a large market – and that could make acquiring him even more difficult for the Cardinals. But he’s perhaps the most intriguing arm available and once the lockout is lifted, should be someone the front office checks in on.