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Cardinals Predicted to Acquire $18 Million Veteran Before Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By A. Kazmierczak | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 1:23 PM ET

As the calendar turns to July, MLB trade deadline discussions are heating up.

Sports Illustrated's Nick Selbe and Will Laws recently published an article ranking the top 25 trade deadline candidates, and among them, who could be on the move next month.

The duo predicted the St. Louis Cardinals would land Arizona Diamondbacks veteran right-hander Merrill Kelly.

"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 [Korea Baseball Organization] in 2019." Selbe and Laws wrote.

"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."

Kelly, who signed a two-year $18 million extension with the Diamondbacks in 2022, is enjoying one his best seasons with Arizona. Across 17 starts, he has a 7-4 record with a 3.49 ERA and 100 strikeouts.

Aside from Sonny Gray and Matthew Liberatore, no Cardinals starter currently holds an ERA under 4.00, and the team ranks 28th in MLB with 603 combined strikeouts. Gray is the only starter to surpass 100 punch outs this season.

Adding Merrill into the mix could be exactly what the Redbirds need to make a postseason run.

"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."

The Cardinals were also mentioned in the article as potential suitors right-handed starters Seth Lugo (Kansas City Royals) and Edward Cabrera (Miami Marlins), however both were predicted to land elsewhere.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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