Cardinals' young pitching makes Michael McGreevy an interesting trade candidate

Two things can be true at once. Michael McGreevy is a good player and an asset to the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse, but he's also someone the Cardinals should consider moving for the right offer.

Let me be clear: I think McGreevy is a good player and someone who has an important voice in the Cardinals' clubhouse. But as the Cardinals build their rotation for the future, they have a lot of high-upside arms on the way, and since 2027 is not their year to contend, maximizing the value of their young talent that may not be "core pieces" makes a ton of sense.

In a recent episode of the Dealin' the Cards podcast, Bernie Miklasz joined me and my co-hosts to discuss the Cardinals' offseason, and Miklasz made the case for McGreevy as a player the Cardinals should be willing to shop this offseason.

I've made a similar argument regarding Andre Pallante this offseason, and whether it is McGreevy or Pallante, I think it makes a ton of sense for Chaim Bloom to deal one of those two arms this offseason.

Michael McGreevy could net the Cardinals a really nice trade return

Everyone needs starting pitching, and cost-controlled starters are some of the most valuable players in the game. To get a player like McGreevy in free agency, it would likely cost anywhere between $10 million and $15 million in annual value, while any team that trades for McGreevy would have him for less than a million dollars in 2027 and arbitration for the next three seasons.

With McGreevy, Pallante, Quinn Mathews, Matthew Libeartore, and Kyle Leahy already on their active roster, plus arms like Tekoah Roby, Cooper Hjerpe, and Richard Fitts fighting for opportunites, the Cardinals have plenty of starting options to begin the year, even if they dealt one. Then, by mid-summer, names like Tanner Franklin, Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Mason Molina may be ready to debut as well.

The Cardinals could deal one of Pallante or McGreevy, sign a "Dustin May-type" in free agency, and still have plenty of pitching depth. Then, in July, the Cardinals could look to move that free agent starter and/or the other of Pallante or McGreevy in trades for maximum value, and plug in the likes of Franklin, Doyle, or whoever is ready to join the rotation.

Sounds like a great plan to me!

You can catch our full conversation with Miklasz on the Dealin' the Cards YouTube below, or anywhere you listen to audio podcasts

McGreevy is a really solid pitcher, posting a 3.95 ERA in 31 starts in 2026, covering 168.2 innings of work to the tune of 1.9 fWAR in his first full season as a Major League starter. That's really, really solid back-of-the-rotation production, something that is valuable for any team to have, but likely brings more value to a different team in 2027 rather than the Cardinals.

I think you would be surprised how much the Cardinals could get in return for McGreevy, which would allow them to keep having waves of young talent coming through their system moving forward, while hitting their contention window very soon.

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