3 under-the-radar pitchers the Cardinals can target via trade

3. Emmet Sheehan

Back in late July, when the trade deadline was still looming, rumors began to circulate that the Cardinals and Dodgers were discussing a deal revolving around Nolan Arenado.

It wasn't until John Mozeliak said that he would not be trading Arenado that fans could breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Arenado has a no-trade clause in his contract and the Cardinals don't appear to be planning to trade him anytime soon.

That obviously would not make sense, given that they plan to contend in 2024. But the Dodgers could still be a viable trading partner. Recently, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN revealed that the Dodgers were hoping to trade away some of their young pitching prospects for some potential help on the offensive side, as well as a big-name starter.

The Cardinals could help the Dodgers on the offensive side, and one pitcher in particular could be of use to them. Emmet Sheehan.

I find it unlikely that the Dodgers will be willing to trade Bobby Miller. But Sheehan could potentially be had if the Cardinals shop one or two of their young position players. It could help them clear up their outfield logjam.

Sheehan appeared in 13 games this year, starting 11 of them. In those games, he went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA, which isn't great. However, he is still only 23 years old and does have a live arm. He averaged 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

With a little more experience, he could prove to be a key addition to the Cardinals rotation. He's somebody who has plenty of upside and could be penciled into the 2024 rotation if acquired, serving as a potential middle-to-back-end rotation piece.