It is the perfect time for the Cardinals and Marlins to make a trade

The St. Louis Cardinals have young hitters on controllable contracts. The Miami Marlins have young pitchers on controllable contracts. This has been the basis of many barbershop trade discussions dating back to the 2023 off-season. After what became of the 2023 season for St. Louis, they were in dire need for a current rotation and in a dire need for a future rotation. They added depth pieces during the 2023 trade deadline, but we will not see many of those pitchers for several years. The current staff for 2024 is full of veteran arms who are providing expected value front the front office but unexpected value from the fanbase.

But with the 2024 season looking like a bust for the Cardinals, they need to prepare yet again for the future. The current rotation is simply a quick fix to a deeper problem. Pitching development has been a major concern for the Cardinals for years and adding more minor league depth can help the problem, but will not guarantee these players will develop. If the front office believes in the position player depth being one of the better offenses in the league, they need to supplement a serviceable pitching staff for years to come. Even with how poorly the offense has been, the talent is there and we all have seen it from every player. This can be changed with a new coaching staff or analytical team come the off-season. But the pitching staff needs an overhaul with established major league pitchers for several years to come.

The Miami Marlins have struggled with the exact same issue, except the complete opposite situation. The Marlins have created a pitching factory of electric arms with an immense level of depth to it. If one guy goes down, the next guy comes up and no momentum is lost. Their problem is they cannot develop an established hitter to their lineup. For several years, their offense has neared the bottom of the league and it took several trades last season to bring their team to a playoff berth in the Wild Card round. This season looks horrendous for the Marlins who rank 25th in the league in total team offensive production. The Cardinals are far worse in 2024, but this is a one-time fail for them. The Marlins have been stuck in this position for years.

If new Marlins GM Peter Bendix wants to create a sustainable roster going forward for the Marlins, he needs to start by fixing the offense. It is due for a complete overhaul and he has the resources with his pitching depth to make this happen. The city of Miami deserves a star player and this off-season is how they should find him. If the Dewitts want to provide fans with a winning product, it will not be because of an increased payroll. It starts with them being reactive to the pitching issue and taking it head-on. They have a plethora of position player talent to move in order to secure several cost-controlled arms to stabilize the rotation. With the Marlins already showing early market activity by trading Luis Arraez, they are ready to reset the roster. The Cardinals need to partner with the Marlins and have both teams fix their issues together.