Cardinals Rumors: 5 Starters St. Louis will look to acquire

The St. Louis Cardinals are nearing the trade deadline in major need of a starting pitcher or two. Here are five options the Cardinals are looking at.

The St. Louis Cardinals need for starting pitching is becoming more and more pressing as the team gets closer to the deadline. Trailing the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and barely holding onto a Wild Card spot, the club is standing on thin ice when it comes to playoff positioning.

Obviously the injuries to Jack Flaherty, Steven Matz, and Dakota Hudson are not helping the team’s causes when it comes to starting pitching, but the club cannot just hope that they get all three back at some point this season and then rock and roll. Major changes need to happen in the St. Louis rotation if they want to do anything more than barely make the playoffs.

The Cardinals rank 19th in baseball in starter ERA and 14th in innings pitched by their rotation. The are not the worst numbers, but will not get the club far when October rolls around and they go up against the best pitching staffs in baseball. The rotation also struggles to strikeout batters, ranking 24th in baseball.

While the pursuit for the heavily rumored Juan Soto is still enticing, it really makes a lot more sense to look at some of the starting pitchers that the Cardinals are currently linked to in order to bolster that rotation. The Cardinals are shopping in more expensive waters this deadline, and will not be settling for Jon Lester or J.A. Happ type of moves. Here are five starting pitchers the club may acquire before the deadline.

Shane Bieber

One of the interesting things about the trade market this year is that with so many teams in contention, it has become a strong sellers market, prompting teams like the Orioles, Marlins, and even the Guardians to consider selling some of their pieces to get supreme value in return. One of those players the Guardians could trade is former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber.

Bieber has not been his usual self this season, but still sports a 3.55 ERA with 110 SO thus far. There is speculation around the league that Cleveland would be motivated to move off of Bieber due to his high value with club control remaining, his decline in velocity, and their need for offense. Swapping Bieber to a contender like St. Louis in exchange for young bats could be a win now and future building deal for Cleveland.

Bieber is a name that has come up for St. Louis over the last few seasons, and should he be available, they surely would be one of the top contenders for him. Bieber still boasts the potential of a front line starter and would be a massive boost to the Cardinals rotation if they could acquire the right hander.

Bieber is under contract through 2024, meaning St. Louis would be acquiring an arm for this stretch run as well as the next two seasons.

Pablo Lopez

The Miami Marlins have a wealth of pitching on their roster and one of the worst offenses in baseball, causing their front office to strongly consider dealing away from their pitching depth to acquire more bats, similar to Cleveland. Pablo Lopez would fit right in with the St. Louis rotation.

It is being reported that the Marlins are now open to offers on Lopez to improve their offense, and the Cardinals have the talent depth to get a deal done for him. Lopez has a 3.03 ERA with 118 SO in 116 innings so far this season. At age 26, Lopez is under club control through 2024, making him another win now move for the club while also getting him for two more seasons.

Acquiring Lopez may require the largest haul on this list, but would easily be worth it if he is able to stabilize and lead this rotation for the next few seasons. The Marlins will not force a Lopez trade, so St. Louis will need to make a very strong offer to get Miami to move the young hurler.

Tarik Skubal

The Detroit Tigers are looking to sell now at the deadline and have multiple pieces that could be up for grabs in the midst of this disappointing season. The most interesting name of the bunch and the one the Cardinals should pounce on is left hander Tarik Skubal.

Skuball has been one of the few bright spots for Detroit this season. The 25 year old is 7-8 with a 3.88 ERA in 19 starts, and strikes out 9.4 hitters per 9 innings. His 2.93 FIP suggests he would benefit greatly from a change of scenery.

Trading for Skuball will cost a sizeable prospect package due to his young age, having four more seasons of team control, and pitching at a very productive level thus far this season. Detroit does not need to move the left hander now, so Mozeliak will need to offer legit value to pry him away from the Tigers.

Grabbing Skuball gives the Cardinals rotation a nice left handed option under team control, and someone who strikes out players at a better rate than the club has. Skuball would perhaps become close to a frontline starter with the support he’d receive from the elite St. Louis defense.

Zach Plesac

The second Cleveland Guardians starter on this list, Zach Plesac could be a great addition to the St. Louis rotation while also not costing an arm and a leg for the club.

The 27 year old right hander is 2-8 this season but has a 4.09 ERA in those 99 innings of work. While his numbers are nothing to write home about, most people around the league see Plesac putting up better numbers than he is at the moment, and being backed up by a Gold Glove defense could do that.

Plesac is also controlled through the 2025 season, making him the second most controllable arms in this least. The right hander could help stabilize and give innings to the rotation this season, and grow into being a high impact starter for St. Louis over the next three seasons.

The Guardians are not for sure selling pieces, but it does sound like they are open to dealing a guy like Plesac of Bieber to help boost their offense. Plesac is not the most exciting name on the market, but his impact would be immense for the Cardinals.