Cardinals Tagged To Trade For Veteran Hurler With 'Front-Line Upside'

The St. Louis Cardinals' rotation needs to improve if they plan to successfully end their two-year playoff drought this fall.

Disappointing performances from veteran right-handed pitchers Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde have negatively impacted the Cardinals' playoff standings -- sitting at 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and 1 1/2 games out of an NL Wild Card spot.

The July 31 trade deadline is steadily approaching and St. Louis' front office might want to consider making a move to boost the rotation before it's too late.

"An impending free agent two seasons removed from his second Tommy John surgery, (Chris) Paddack shows flashes of front-line upside but hasn’t posted an ERA better than league average or surpassed 110 innings since 2019," The Athletic's Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman and Chad Jennings wrote Wednesday, when collaborating on where potential trade deadline chips could be moved to. "He’s not part of the (Minnesota) Twins’ future plans and can fill out the back of a contender’s rotation. Fits: Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals."

Paddack has logged a 3-7 record with a 4.95 ERA, 70-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .265 batting average against and a 1.28 WHIP in 100 innings pitched for the Twins this season.

There's a solid chance Paddack, who becomes a free agent this upcoming offseason, will be traded before the deadline and is owed a fair salary of $2.4 million in 2025, according to Britton, Gleeman and Jennings.

The 29-year-old logged an impressive 2-2 record with a 2.40 ERA, 18-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .215 batting average against and a 0.93 WHIP in 30 innings pitched for Minnesota throughout May this season.

However, Paddack has struggled since his dominant May campaign, which could help the Cardinals reel him in without having to commit a significant sacrifice.

Although Paddack wouldn't be a guaranteed boost to St. Louis' rotation, his presence could help stabilize the pitching staff. Trading a package of low-level prospects for the seven-year veteran could prove to be a difference maker down the line as the Cardinals claw and scratch their way to a playoff spot.