5 ways the Cardinals can acquire a starting pitcher and reliever in the same deal

The St. Louis Cardinals are hoping to bolster their roster in pursuit of a return to the postseason this year as well as make a run once they get there. Their roster needs have been clear for quite some time now, and there is a chance they address two of those in the same trade.

Last year, the Rangers bolstered their rotation and bullpen in one trade with the Cardinals, acquiring both Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton. As the trade market continues to take shape, there are multiple teams who present the Cardinals with the same scenario that they gave Texas last deadline. In fact, Katie Woo of The Athletic's bold prediction for the Cardinals at this year's deadline was that they would acquire a starter and reliever in the same move.

With that in mind, I went ahead and cooked up five different trades where I could see the Cardinals addressing their rotation and bullpen in the same deal.

Trade #1 - Texas Rangers

How ironic would it be if the Cardinals and Rangers replicated the trade they made last season? I actually think it makes a lot of sense for both sides.

Nathan Eovaldi would make for a great pairing with Sonny Gray at the top of the Cardinals' rotation. In 17 starts this year, Eovaldi has posted a 3.36 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 99 innings pitched, striking out 94 hitters in the process. While Eovaldi's strikeout numbers will not wow you, he's among the best in baseball in chase percentage and ground ball percentage, so he knows how to get hitters out effectively.

Not only has he settled in as a consistent regular-season performer over the last several years, but Eovaldi has also proven to be one of the best postseason pitchers in recent memory. In 17 postseason appearances (12 starts), Eovaldi is 9-3 with a 3.05 ERA. In 2018 and 2023 specifically (two of his three postseasons Eovaldi has pitched in), he has dominated and been one of the major reasons his team won the World Series each of those years.

Part of the appeal of Eovaldi for St. Louis is that he has a vesting option for 2025 as long as he is able to hit 300 innings pitched combined between 2023 and 2024. That $20 million option would be a bargain compared to what he could get on the open market, so St. Louis would likely be very interested in snagging him at that price. Eovaldi will need to throw 57 innings down the stretch for St. Louis in order for that option to vest, which is likely, but not guaranteed.

The Cardinals would also be getting an experienced bullpen arm in David Robertson to take some of the pressure off of Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, and Ryan Fernandez. Robertson has mostly been the setup man for the Rangers this year but has done so at an elite level. His 3.16 ERA in 40 appearances will slot in nicely at the back of the Cardinals' bullpen, but he also does something that the Cardinals bullpen as a whole is weak at - strike batters out. Robertson's 37% strikeout percentage is among the best in baseball, and he creates groundballs at an elite level as well.

For the Rangers, they would be able to bolster a farm system that has taken a lot of hits over the last calendar year with the promotions of Evan Carter, Wyatt Langford, and Josh Jung among others as well as trading away assets at this past deadline to acquire Jordan Montgomery, Chris Stratton, Max Scherzer, and Austin Hedges. They already have familiarity with Saggese and Roby and would be getting an MLB-ready arm in Gordon Graceffo as well.

It is a high price to pay for St. Louis, but remember, Montgomery fetched the Cardinals Roby and Saggese along with John King as just a rental, so the potential for Eovaldi to be locked up for 2025 as well should make him a similar if not slightly more attractive asset as Montgomery was.