10 realistic trade options for the Cardinals at the deadline

LHP Yusei Kikuchi

Like Cal Quantrill, Yusei Kikuchi will be a free agent at the end of the season. His three-year, $36-million deal that he signed with the Blue Jays comes to a close at the end of this season. He's still owed about $4 million for the rest of this year.

Kikuchi's name has been growing in interest as the Toronto Blue Jays have continued to fade in playoff contention. While the Jays aren't expected to send away players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr or Bo Bichette, their ancillary players with expiring contracts are predicted to be traded.

Kikuchi sports a 4.42 ERA, 3.68 FIP, and a 1.302 WHIP on the season, good for a 91 ERA+. Where Kikuchi falls off compared to his counterparts would be his struggles with the home run. He's allowing 1.4 home runs per nine innings this year, but his career average is 1.6. Kikuchi allows loud contact, as he has a 10.5% barrel rate and a 45.1% hard-hit rate, both in the 9th percentile in the league.

However, the southpaw has struck out 26% of batters he's faced, and he's walked just 5.8% of them. Both of those values would be welcome on a Cardinals staff that has been trying to find strikeouts for a few years now. Kikuchi's fastball velocity averages 95.6 MPH, something else the Cardinals haven't had for years out of a starting pitcher.

Kikuchi's contract is up at the end of the season; his impending free agency will lessen his trade value. He, too, would likely cost a prospect around the #10 slot from the Cardinals. This trade would be swallowable for the organization, and Kikuchi would fill a number of holes out of the starting rotation for the team.