4 Cardinals trade candidates from teams falling out of contention

Lucas Giolito

The White Sox are an interesting team to look at because they were expected to be a contender this season and have many valuable assets. Lucas Giolito is one of them.

The right-hander struggled last season, posting a 4.90 ERA over 30 starts. However, he appears to have bounced back this season. Through his first nine starts, the right-hander is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.86 over 53.2 innings pitched. And I'll sound like a broken record here, but a high strikeout rate is something the Cardinals are desperate for. Giolito has fanned 56 of the 223 batters he's faced, which amounts to a K-rate of just above 25 percent.

Giolito also has been a top-of-the-rotation starter at various points in his career. Adding him would also reunite him with his Harvard Westlake High School teammate Jack Flaherty. Perhaps if the Cardinals were willing, they could swing a deal for both Giolito and Cease, but the asking price might be too high for both of them in one package.