This struggling ace may be the perfect fit for the Cardinals at the trade deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals have already been linked to several starting pitchers at this year's trade deadline, including Nathan Eovaldi, Zach Eflin, and Yusei Kikuchi. In their search for a fifth starter, they may be shopping at the top of the market for starting pitchers with one or two years of control left. With a Wildcard currently spot in hand, the Cardinals may act uncharacteristically aggressive, with a solid team needing just a few tweaks to compete in a very weak National League. I broke down a few of these trade targets with Josh Jacobs on the Dealin' the Cards Podcast this past week.

One name that hasn't been directly linked to the Cardinals but could become available in the same tier as Eovaldi and Eflin is Toronto's Kevin Gausman. While the Blue Jays hoped to compete this season, nearly winning the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, this season has been a disaster so far. At 45-54, the Blue Jays are in fifth place in the American League East, 15 games behind the Orioles. They're sure to sell off their expiring contracts like Yusei Kikuchi, who has been linked to St. Louis, but the rest of their team, including franchise cornerstones Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, may be kept intact.

However, their ace, Kevin Gausman, may be the exception. He's struggled greatly this year, with a steep drop in his strikeout rate and velocity. He's owed $24 million this season and $46 million from 2025 to 2026. Even if the Blue Jays hope to contend with their core one last time in 2025, trading Gausman could be the wise move if they don't want to bank on him bouncing back. MLB Insider Robert Murray brought up the same point on his most recent episode of the Baseball Insiders podcast.

Gausman was fantastic in the first two years of his contract with the Blue Jays, finishing ninth in Cy Young voting in 2022 and third last year, so his track record indicates he may improve significantly next year. For the Cardinals, it's an expensive risk, but it could turn out extremely well for a team looking for a second starter at the front of a playoff rotation. Gausman hasn't been great, but with 4.55 ERA and a 1.301 WHIP, he's still a viable option if he doesn't improve. His FIP of 3.93, however, indicates that he should get better as the season goes on.

If the Cardinals are willing to give up the prospects it takes for Nathan Eovaldi or Zach Eflin, they may be willing to go after Kevin Gausman, a more intriguing option with perhaps a higher ceiling. If the Blue Jays retain some of his salary, it may be a great high-risk, high-reward option for St. Louis at the deadline.