3 trades the Cardinals could make for a Marlins' starting pitcher

Derrick Goold has stated that St. Louis has explored trades for a Miami Marlins' starting pitcher, and recent reports indicate that Miami might trade one. Which pitcher should the Cardinals prioritize?

Wild Card Series - Miami Marlins v Philadelphia Phillies - Game One
Wild Card Series - Miami Marlins v Philadelphia Phillies - Game One | Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
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Edward Cabrera

Of the three trade candidates, Edward Cabrera is the riskiest choice. He has five years of control remaining, he has a highly-rated changeup, and he strikes batters out at a well above-average clip. Cabrera has two downsides: command and injuries. Last year, Cabrera was in and out due to a shoulder injury and time spent in Triple-A Jacksonville to improve his walk rate.

Edward Cabrera has a career walk rate of 14%, nearly 6% higher than league average. Just last year Cabrera ranked in the bottom 1% of the league in walk rate -- 15.2%. Cabrera's changeup (36.3%), curveball (38%), and slider (30.6%) all have whiff rates greater than 30%. His fastball sits in the 94-96 MPH range and can hit 98 on occasion. He has some of the best pure stuff in the game.

Injuries have been the story of Cabrera's young career. He has pitched only 197.2 innings in three years, and he has not pitched greater than 100 innings in a single season. Between his walk rates and his injury history, Edward Cabrera is the definition of "high risk, high reward". It has been rumored that the Marlins will hold onto Cabrera until they are blown away by a trade.

Due to his five remaining years of team control, his ability to strike batters out at a high rate, and his high ceiling, it could take a high price to land the talented righty. Miami is in need of offensive firepower, so I could see St. Louis giving up one of Nolan Gorman, Ivan Herrera, or even Thomas Saggesse. These are some fan favorites, so it will hurt to see any one of them leave via trade. Gorman has some fears about his back injuries, so he may be a good trade piece for an oft-injured pitcher.

Miami receives: 2B/3B Nolan Gorman

St. Louis receives: RHP Edward Cabrera

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