5 St. Louis Cardinals most likely to be dealt at trade deadline

Johan Oviedo

Although the Cardinals are pursuing more pitching and unlikely to take away from their current group, Oviedo would be likely to leave if an upgrade presented itself. The 24 year old has been solid, but the Cardinals haven’t trusted him yet with a major role.

Oviedo has been steady through the minors. The last two years at Triple-A, his stats have been almost identical– 10-12 games, over 50 strikeouts, a WHIP between 1.30 and 1.60, and a strangely high ERA over five. And in the majors, those trends have continued.

I have no idea if Oviedo’s ceiling is a back of the rotation starter or bullpen innings eater. There is no questioning his arm talent, however, and a team looking to acquire young, controllable talent would be happy to take a flyer on him. Of the guys on this list, Oviedo is the least likely to be traded. But he and Capel are the most likely to be traded of anyone on the 40-man roster.

Summary

The all-star break is a time for celebration, but for a contending team like the St. Louis Cardinals, it’s also a warning. There’s two weeks left to make adjustments to this year’s team. Whether they end up as major improvements or minor tweaks, there is no question that the Cardinals have to be active.

Gordon Graceffo and Alec Burleson would headline an exciting acquisition. Capel, Hurst, and Oviedo would bring back much-needed depth. Either way, these five are each valuable young ballplayers. We’ll see what kind of additions they bring when the Cardinals move them in the coming weeks.