Michael McGreevy
Michael McGreevy was drafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2021 as the Cardinals' 18th-overall pick. He struggled in AA after a strong first season in Peoria, having a 4.64 ERA in Springfield with only 76 strikeouts in 99 innings. In 2023, the front office started him in AA for 3 starts. He thrived there, pitching 18.2 innings with an ERA of 1.45, a WHIP of 0.96, and 16 strikeouts to one walk. He has always done a good job of limiting walks. After his promotion to AAA, he showed signs of struggling. He currently has an ERA of 3.92 (limits home runs), a WHIP of 1.51, and an opposing batting average of .290. His strikeouts are around 8 Ks/9 innings.
While he is still young (22 years old), seeing a former first-round pick struggle at AAA is slightly concerning for management. The major league roster needs pitching very quickly, and McGreevy doesn't seem ready just yet. It is feasible to assume that he starts next season at AAA; hopefully, his velocity will tick up on his fastball and he will show development repeating a level he has in the past. The Cardinals need strikeouts currently, and McGreevy doesn't appear to fit that mold. Therefore, he could be used as a trade piece to upgrade in another department for the team.
The Cardinals could also capitalize on his youth and upside and deal him at this deadline. While the major league roster doesn't have any glaring holes (outside of the rotation and shortstop currently, but we have Masyn Winn coming up), McGreevy could be used with another player to fetch a big-name starter for this year and next.
Starting pitching is always a need at the deadline. While McGreevy probably won't start on a major league roster just yet, he could be called up at the end of the season to provide depth innings and will more than likely be able to contend for a rotation spot next year.
It is hard to pinpoint which team specifically could use a starter, so let's target teams that could give the Cardinals something in return that they need: strong prospects. The Rays, Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Orioles could all be strong trade partners for McGreevy.