5 under-the-radar trade acquisitions for the St. Louis Cardinals at the deadline

RHP Gregory Soto

The Baltimore Orioles traded for right-handed pitcher Gregory Soto at last year's deadline to help with their own playoff push. This year, the Cardinals could do the same thing with Soto.

The Orioles are looking to be clear sellers this year, as they have a 37-47 record and are fading quickly in the American League playoff picture. While they won't trade any of their controllable young players, they may test the market on those players who are on expiring contracts. Soto is just that type of player.

Gregory Soto has a 3.30 ERA this year, and he's struck out 36 batters in just 30 innings. He has yet to record a save, but he's worked primarily in the seventh and eighth innings of games. He has struggled a bit with walking batters (34th percentile in walk rate), but his 84th-percentile strikeout rate contradicts that well.

Soto's fastball averages just under 97 MPH, but his sinker is his best pitch. Batters are hitting just .196 against it while slugging .255. His slider generates whiffs at a 48.3% clip, one of the best in the league.

In high-leverage situations this year, batters are slashing just .182/.240/.318 with 12 strikeouts in 51 plate appearances. He's pitched primarily in these situations, so he's familiar with high-stress outings.

Soto's playoff experience is minimal; he's thrown only 3.2 innings, and he has a 4.91 career ERA in the playoffs with four strikeouts. He had a tough go in the 2023 postseason with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he settled in well for the Orioles last year in very limited experience (0.2 innings).

Soto is in the final year of arbitration, so he shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to acquire via trade. A mid-tier prospect should suffice as a return for Soto's services for the rest of the year. Similar to Kenley Jansen, Soto would be a nice right-handed buffer for both Phil Maton and Ryan Helsley.