Cardinals Could Trade $7.5 Million Pitcher To Injury-Riddled Contender

The St. Louis Cardinals are stuck between contending and rebuilding right now.

They were seemingly entering a rebuild, but their roster has other plans. The team on the field continues to win games despite the front office's lack or urgency to add talent in the offseason.

Either way, the Cardinals have a few players they should trade this season, whether they're selling or buying in the grand scheme of things. One of those players is starting pitcher Erick Fedde.

Fedde is on an expiring contract and the Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign him at the end of the season. The righty is pitching well right now, which means he would generate some value in a deal, especially if the Cardinals can find a team desperate to add pitching.

The Kansas City Royals recently lost their two best pitchers, Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans, to the injured list. With the Royals playing in the hyper-competitive American League Central, they'll need to act fast to replace these injured starters or the Royals will be behind the 8-ball when the pair gets healthy.

Trading for Fedde would make a lot of sense. He's affordable and reliable while not being locked into a long-term deal that would handicap the Royals in the future. Kansas City has the prospect capital to acquire him quite easily, so a deal could make sense.

The Cardinals would free up a roster spot for a young pitcher like Quinn Mathews if they traded Fedde. The righty would also net a decent return on the market while setting the Cardinals up for future success.