5 players from the Angels that are a perfect fit for the Cardinals

2. Tyler Anderson

In a similar fashion to Ward, Tyler Anderson is about to become a hot commodity at the trade deadline. Contending teams are always searching for pitching and he is one of the best available. The 2024 All-Star is having arguably the best season of his career. He holds a 4.1 WAR as a pitcher with an 8-8 record, 2.81 ERA, 151 ERA+, 4.53 FIP, 1.179 WHIP, and 6.2 SO/9. Anderson has had a stellar first half of the season and has earned a deserved All-Star game selection and also has earned a top seat in the trade deadline ring.

For teams interested in him, the under the hood stats do not look promising for Anderson to continue this level of success. The FIP is nearly double of his ERA and his strikeout numbers are at a career low. He might eat innings for you, but prepare for your defense to be worked all game. The Cardinals can take that risk, which makes this move desirable.

3. Carlos Estevez

The Cardinals have two ways of doing this. 1. Trade for Estevez and make a super bullpen that cannot be touched in October. 2. Trade Helsley to a World Series contender and get a haul of prospects, then trade for Estevez to replace him. Both options have pros and cons, but both options have Carlos Estevez being added to his bullpen which is a major upgrade. He is having a strong 2024 season where he holds a 2.79 ERA, 153 ERA+, 3.00 FIP, 0.793 WHIP, and has 16 saves over 29 innings pitched.

The June AL reliever of the month is building on his success from 2023 and is now a premier back-end reliever which will warrant many teams' interest. The Cardinals can shuffle their assets to where they do not skip a beat on the 2024 season and can build a stronger future going forward. This move makes the most sense for the current roster if they go either direction.