Ranking the Cardinals' needs at the trade deadline

2. Mid-to-high-leverage reliever

This need is actually due to injuries this year. Keynan Middleton, Mozeliak's relief signing this offseason, and Riley O'Brien have both been battling injuries all year. O'Brien has started his rehab stint, but Middleton won't throw a pitch all year.

The Cardinals' bullpen has probably been the team's strongest positional group this year. Ryan Helsley leads the league in saves, and JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge have been near the top of the league in holds this year. While some cracks have begun to show amongst the three, they are still reliable arms late in games and in high-leverage situations.

However, they've been deployed relatively frequently this year, and teams are starting to get quite familiar with what was once the best three-headed relief corps in baseball. Therefore, another reliever, particularly a right-handed one who is comfortable in high-leverage situations, should be a primary target for Mozeliak at the deadline.

The Cardinals' relievers have the 4th-best ERA as a staff in baseball. They've thrown the 15th-most innings this year, so fatigue isn't too much of an issue at this point. Regardless, teams could always use bullpen help at this point in the year.

The cost of a reliever isn't always clear at this time of the year. The Kansas City Royals gave up quite a bit to land Washington Nationals' reliever Hunter Harvey a couple of weeks ago; that could provide a template for the remaining teams who wish to make swaps this deadline.

Ideally, this reliever will be a left-handed guy. With John King and Matthew Liberatore being slotted as middle relief guys, JoJo Romero is by himself at the back of the 'pen. A righty to spell Kittredge from time to time would do well, too. Either way, another mid-to-high-leverage reliever would do wonders for an already strong bullpen group.