Cardinals Predicted To Acquire $18 Million Ace From Diamondbacks

The St. Louis Cardinals look like they can be a playoff team this year.

St. Louis lost on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs but still has an impressive 44-38 record through 82 games. If the Cardinals can keep playing the way they have, there's a real shot that they could earn a playoff spot.

St. Louis hasn't been a slouch in any area of the game this year. There isn't a clear weakness. Anything can be improved, but the rotation has been solid and has depth, the bullpen has high-end pieces, and the Cardinals' offense has been good overall. The defense has been incredible and that's why the Cardinals are winning games. St. Louis does the little things right and is worth investing in, even with the change coming this offseason with Chaim Bloom taking over.

If the Cardinals were to add ahead of the trade deadline, what type of move would make sense? Sports Illustrated's Nick Selbe predicted that the Cardinals will end up landing Arizona Diamondbacks ace Merrill Kelly.

"No. 11. Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks SP," Selbe said. "2025 stats: 7–3, 3.39 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 93 K, 25 BB, 1.8 fWAR in 93 IP. Best fits: Cardinals, (Chicago Cubs), (Atlanta Braves), (Toronto Blue Jays), (New York Mets), (Minnesota Twins), (Boston Red Sox), (Los Angeles Angels). Kelly has never made an All-Star team or garnered Cy Young votes, but he’s been one of the league’s most solid starters since coming over from the KBO in 2019.

"His 3.78 ERA over that span ranks 14th (min. 800 IP), ahead of hurlers like Dylan Cease and Aaron Nola. He also showed during Arizona’s 2023 World Series run that he can be counted on in the playoffs, recording a 2.25 ERA in four postseason starts. The 36-year-old could make for a sneaky-good hired arm amid one of his best seasons if the D-Backs elect to move him before he enters free agency in the winter. Prediction: Traded to Cardinals."

This doesn't seem exceptionally likely because the Cardinals have enough pitching depth to the point that Michael McGreevy is in the minors. If the Cardinals were to move a guy like Erick Fedde or Andre Pallante, then this could work. A rotation featuring Sonny Gray, Matthew Liberatore, Miles Mikolas (who has a no-trade clause), Kelly, and McGreevy would be hard to matchup against.

The other big thing against a deal like this is that Kelly is going to be a free agent at the end of the season. He's on a two-year, $18 million deal that had $7 million club option for the 2025 season. He's been stellar with a 3.39 ERA in 16 starts so far this season. That production makes him worth it. But, would the Cardinals be willing to move pieces for a potential rental?