Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis again linked to Frankie Montas

The St. Louis Cardinals have once again been linked to A’s star Frankie Montas, who will be the best starting pitcher available via trade.

Earlier this season, two national baseball writers connected the St. Louis Cardinals to Frankie Montas. Since then, the buzz has quieted down, even as Montas has established himself as the clear-cut best rotation arm available before the trade deadline.

The buzz is back, however, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network connected the Cardinals to Montas. It appeared to be dot connecting more than anything, though that he linked only the Cardinals and White Sox is rather interesting.

The White Sox were heavily connected to Montas, with the A’s coveting outfielder Andrew Vaughn in trade talks. But Chicago was not willing to part with the emerging slugger and trade talks simmered down rather quickly.

It’s unclear who the A’s would want from the Cardinals, but if they want a young hitter with major-league experience (or is close to the majors), it’s plausible that they would want Nolan Gorman. That, in all likelihood, would be a non-starter considering they envision him at second or third bases in St. Louis for the long-term and have always been hesitant about parting with top prospects in trades.

Could Montas be different? After all, he’s signed through 2023, meaning he would be with the team for 1.5 seasons. The Cardinals have a long-term rotation need, especially with Adam Wainwright retiring after the 2022 season. And he has once again been very good this season, posting a 3.20 ERA and 71/15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 64.2 innings.

Montas would give the Cardinals another innings eater, which would take pressure off a bullpen that lacks depth. For this season, it would give them a rotation that features Montas, Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas. That would give them a rotation to pair with a strong lineup that could allow them to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers in a potential playoff series.

The odds of it happening would appear to be slim. But the rumors simply won’t go away. They seem to just be getting started.