Did Cardinals Make Big Mistake By Not Trading $15 Million Right-Hander?

The St. Louis Cardinals’ decision to hold onto a certain asset during the 2024 offseason is looking mighty questionable at the moment.

On one hand, retaining a 32-year-old proven veteran pitcher seemed logical, especially given his 3.30 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 177 1/3 innings in 2024.

On the other hand, the Cardinals should have jumped on board with what many people saw as a likely outcome: Erick Fedde wasn't going to repeat last year's success in 2025.

St. Louis has had a surprisingly successful season, but that doesn't change the fact that the decision to retain Fedde backfired. Through 17 starts and 92 2/3 innings pitched, Fedde has struggled to a 3-8 record, with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.

His latest outing on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates was particularly rough, as he surrendered seven earned runs on 10 hits over five innings, contributing to a lopsided loss.

Fedde's trade value was at its peak in the offseason. Teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets were interested in bolstering their rotations, and the Cardinals could have landed some valuable prospect capital in return for Fedde. Doing so could have also paved the path for guys like Michael McGreevy and Quinn Mathews to hit the ground running in 2025.

Ultimately, the Cardinals decided to keep Fedde, probably thinking that he'd help anchor their experienced rotation.

Sadly, that hasn't happened.

Fedde's off-year isn't the end of the world for the Cardinals, and there's still a chance for him to turn things around during the second half (provided he isn't traded before July 31!).

The Cardinals still have to be thrilled about where they stand, with a 47-39 record entering Tuesday, three games back of the Chicago Cubs and in possession of the third Wild Card spot.