4 Cardinals trade candidates from teams falling out of contention

These four players on disappointing teams could be targets for the Cardinals

The Cardinals are starting to heat back up! The team is in a much better place now than they were a week ago, having gained some ground in the standings for both the NL Central and the third Wild Card spot.

The Cardinals headed into Chicago with an awful 11-24 record and proceeded to win five out of six games on their road trip, including a three-game sweep over the Red Sox. The team has now won seven out of their last eight games and is on a four-game win streak after dismantling the Brewers by a final of 18-1 on Monday.

The offense is producing at a higher clip, the defense has cleaned up, the bullpen isn't as taxed, and the starting pitching is starting to look a little bit better as well, with back-to-back quality starts recorded by Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty.

Needless to say, the vibes around the city of St. Louis are much better, as are the vibes around the team. There's a little more pep in their step than compared to the previous week. The Cardinals are still 17-25 and own the worst record in the National League, but they may not be there for long.

Monday's win over the Brewers put them within 6.5 games of Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central. The Phillies also lost to the Giants, and the Cardinals moved to within 3.5 games of the third Wild Card spot.

However, it's still very likely that the Cardinals are going to need to make some trades if they're serious about a run. Here are four trade candidates from teams that are slipping in the standings.