4 Cardinals trade rumors we hope come true, 3 we hope don't happen

Trade rumors are swirling around the St. Louis Cardinals. Here's what we hope comes true at the deadline.

Tampa Bay Rays v Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays v Texas Rangers | Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages
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We hope the Cardinals don't trade for Tyler Anderson

While Tyler Anderson has been great to start the 2024 season, the lone Angels All-Star representative is due for some major regression after the deadline. The soft-tossing lefty certainly fits the mold of Cardinals' deadline moves in the past, but with an abundance of other options, the Cardinals should look away. Anderson has accrued 4.3 bWAR, recording a 2.91 ERA through his first 20 starts, but the Cardinals should let another contender bite on him rather than paying a steep price for his services.

The red flags are all there. Anderson's FIP and xERA are both around 1.5 points higher than his actual ERA, and it's not like he's a guy who consistently overperformed his expected metrics. The first year of his deal with the Angels was an absolute disaster. His fly-ball rate is extremely high, his fastball doesn't even touch 90 mph, and he doesn't miss barrels. His ceiling as a frontline starter is extremely limited, and he definitely won't be worth Anaheim's asking price.

We hope the Cardinals trade for Zach Eflin

It's been said time and time again, don't make trades with the Tampa Bay Rays, but this time it might be different. Sure, the Cardinals should probably be careful which players they give up, but Zach Eflin is a proven talent. Just like Tyler Glasnow, who's been fantastic for the Dodgers to start the year, the Rays won't fleece anyone with Eflin's underperformance. He'll be just fine, as long as he doesn't get hurt.

Eflin is owed $18 million next year, so he's as good as gone. The Rays will just want to maximize the value they get from him, as they probably have a few starters good enough to replace him waiting in the Minor Leagues. With a 4.14 ERA this season, he'll be more than serviceable to fill out the Cardinals' rotation, and he won't be too expensive either.

Unlike Tyler Anderson, Eflin's metrics indicate that he's actually gotten a bit unlucky this season, and may be due for some improvement. He pitched like a frontline starter last season and definitely has the ceiling to lead the Cardinals' rotation alongside Sonny Gray.

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