How acquiring Zach Eflin could affect the Cardinals rotation

The Cardinals have been linked to three starters thus far with the trade deadline now a week away. Nathan Eovaldi, Zach Eflin, and Erick Fedde are the three starters that have been brought up in trade rumors. John Denton reported that Eovaldi and Eflin are likely targets at the deadline.

To me, Eovaldi is the clear choice, but the Cardinals may choose a different path. What about Eflin? What could he do for the Cardinals rotation? Is he the guy they need to turn this team into a true contender? We'll discuss how Eflin fits into the rotation and how he could help the Cardinals out.

How could Zach Eflin help the Cardinals rotation?

The reason I prefer Eovaldi over everybody else is that he is a legitimate No. 2 starter and would certainly give the Cardinals a chance to do damage in the postseason. Eflin is more of a middle-of-the-rotation starter, which could certainly help the Cardinals.

The 30-year-old right-hander is in the second year of his deal with the Rays. In 18 starts, he's 5-7 with an ERA of 4.14. He's recorded 83 strikeouts in 104.1 innings of work. As mentioned above, he could certainly be of use to the Cardinals, though I don't see him making the same type of impact as Eovaldi would, hence why I prefer him.

As a middle-of-the-rotation arm, Eflin could profile similarly to Pablo Lopez last year for the Twins. Minnesota had Sonny Gray as their ace last season, and he helped guide them to the ALDS. But the Twins also had another solid starter, that being Lopez.

I've been saying much of the same things about Jack Flaherty, though it seems unlikely that John Mozeliak will entertain the idea of bringing him back. Lopez posted a 3.66 ERA last season for Minnesota, and I could see Eflin finishing the season with similar stats.

Last year, Eflin struck out 186 batters, two more than Gray did with the Twins, so he would bring some much-needed swing and miss to the Cardinals rotation if acquired. That plays well in October.

Realistically, I could see Eflin being the Game 2 starter for the Cardinals if they reach the postseason. While Kyle Gibson has been good, he's not exactly somebody you'd tap to be a Game 2 starter. Eflin seems more qualified to do that, having pitched in the postseason with the Phillies and Rays the last two seasons.

At the very least, I could see the Cardinals getting to the NLDS if they add Eflin to the mix. Again, I think Eovaldi gives them a better chance at World Series contention, but Eflin would make them considerably better than they are now. We'll just have to see what they're able to do at the deadline with a week left.