Trevor Rogers
Like Blackburn, Marlins' Trevor Rogers is no stranger to his name being in trade rumors over the last few seasons. But unlike Blackburn, Rogers has actually shown the ability to be an impact starter in the past. Unfortunately, he's never been able to regain the magic he found during his 2021 breakout season.
In Rogers' first full season, the lefty posted a 2.64 ERA and 2.55 FIP while averaging 10.62 K/9, finishing second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting ahead of Dylan Carlson. Like Carlson, things have only been downhill for Rogers since then, as he's posted a 5.02 ERA in the 46 starts he has made since 2022.
It's not hard to see why. Roger's fastball is almost 3 MPH slower this year than it was in 2021,
his strikeout percentage has dipped over 10% to just 18.4%, and he just is not fooling hitters like he was able to when he first came up. Pair that with an increased walk rate as well and a massive injury history, and I'm not sure what the "pros" are to acquiring a guy like Rogers anymore.
I don't think this would be a crazy thing to look at in the offseason, or maybe take a flyer on him if the Marlins are interested in a swap with someone like Dylan Carlson, but there is no world where Rogers can be the guy the Cardinals sell fans on as their rotation upgrade this season. Sure, he has shown that upside in the past, but there is little reason to believe that he still has that potential in him, or at least little reason to believe it could be unlocked anytime this season.
Like the other names above, adding in the fact that he has club control makes this even more of a "no" for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of adding guys who can have an impact beyond this season, but not when the ceiling is so low in the immediate future and you're mostly paying for the potential of 2025 and beyond.