7 trades that could entice the Cardinals to move Tommy Edman or Dylan Carlson

Rays trade package

This is probably an underpay from the Cardinals' standpoint, so they may need to attach a pitching prospect or two to this deal (no, not Hence or Mathews level), but I do think it is worth considering for St. Louis.

I've talked about Pete Fairbanks a lot already, as I think he would be an excellent fit in the back of the Cardinals' bullpen and has multiple years of control remaining. The Rays are not going to move him just to move him, but they may like the idea of adding a player like Edman for both the current state of contention and their 2025 outlook as well.

Edman feels like a Tampa Bay Ray in so many ways. He is versatile, undervalued by most, has a few strengths they can work to maximize, and is really affordable next season as well. It would be odd to see them deal away someone with more control for Edman, but Fairbanks is a reliever, and Edman can help them every single day (when healthy).

While Edman's fight to get back on the field this year has been long and messy, he's not someone who carries a lengthy injury history, so chances are he's back to being a very dependable player sometime this season and in 2025 as well. The Rays can also move him later on if needed, but I do think he could give them an option to move around for the remainder of the year and next year.

St. Louis would be turning someone who has not contributed all year into a high-end reliever, which is an interesting way to avoid parting with significant prospect capital and to upgrade your team immediately without parting with a current contributor. There is an argument that adding a really good reliever would have the single most profound impact on this team since that really good starter or bat is likely not happening.