The St. Louis Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise this season. Entering the All-Star break four games above .500 and just 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, the Cardinals are still in the thick of the division race.
Once expected to be MLB trade deadline sellers, St. Louis currently holds the second National League Wild Card spot. As the Cardinals prepare for a second-half surge and a possible playoff run, there are some areas in need of improvement.
Like most teams, the Cardinals could use some additional power and another starting pitcher. But with St. Louis unlikely to chase the biggest names on the market and enter a bidding war with big market teams, it’s important to find value.
Now that the postseason is within reach, the Cardinals can seek out cost-effective deals that won’t empty the farm system. With that in mind, here are three sneaky trade deadline targets that the Cardinals should consider.
The Cardinals should grab outfielder Jesse Winker
The Nationals landed Winker on the cheap after an injury-ravaged 2023 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He managed just one home run and 23 RBI with an OPS+ of 58 in 61 games last year.
The poor production allowed the Nationals to sign Winker to a one-year, $2 million deal in the offseason. So far this year Winker has avoided injury and rebounded nicely at the plate. In 94 games, he has 18 doubles, 11 homers, 43 RBI, an OPS+ of 133 and 2.1 WAR.
Winker could step into a corner outfield spot and provide consistent offensive production for the Cardinals, occasionally filling the DH role for the team. He’d be a solid upgrade for St. Louis as they push for the playoffs.
With a number of plus hitters expected to be available at the deadline, Winker has flown a bit under the radar. However, he could be an excellent option for teams that miss out on players like the Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. or the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso. And it’s very likely that the Nationals decide to move Winker in an effort to get some value back on an expiring contract in the midst of a lost season.
At nine games under .500 the Nationals are 18.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Washington has dropped to six games back in the Wild Card race and six teams now sit between the Nationals and a playoff berth.
Given their situation, the team should be motivated to unload players that hit free agency in 2025. A modest package of prospects could be enough to land Winker and his $2 million 2024 salary is very reasonable for a quality second-half rental.
Rescue Oakland outfielder JJ Bleday
It seems almost cruel to pick at the carcass of the Oakland A’s. But there’s no getting around just how bad 2024 has been for the team. The A’s are now 24 games below .500 and 15 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League’s weakest division. Things are even bleaker for Oakland in the Wild Card race as the A’s are a demoralizing 17.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Even saying that the team is going nowhere is controversial as the A’s plan to move to Sacramento next season before ultimately relocating to Las Vegas. It’s just a brutal season for A’s fans.
Make no mistake, the Oakland A's will be stripped for parts at the trade deadline as the team attempts yet another rebuild. Despite the dreadful record, the A’s actually have several attractive pieces to offer contending teams in exchange for prospects.
The secret’s out on Brent Rooker after he swatted his way to the All-Star break, mashing three home runs and six RBI. The 29-year-old is up to 21 homers and 62 RBI on the season with a scorching hot OPS+ of 169 and 3.1 WAR in 83 games. If the A’s move Rooker at the deadline, he could be the subject of a bidding war for power-needy teams – particularly considering his 2024 salary is just $750K and he’s under club control through 2026.
So going after Rooker is not particularly sneaky. He’s raking this season and he hit 30 home runs last year. But if the Cardinals find themselves on the outside looking in on a Rooker trade, Oakland’s JJ Bleday would be a nice consolation prize.
Like Winker, Bleday would be an outfield upgrade. He’s spent most of his time in center this season but can play the corner outfield spots as well. And he can provide some pop to the Cardinals’ lineup. At the All-Star break Bleday has 25 doubles, 11 home runs, a .420 slugging percentage and an OPS+ of 111. He’s accumulated 1.8 WAR in 96 games.
Additionally, Bleday is under team control until 2027, making him more than just a second-half rental. The 26-year-old is earning $745K this season and could grow into a long-term starter for St. Louis at a very reasonable price.
Pick a starting pitcher from the Texas Rangers
While the Rangers haven’t conceded the 2024 season and seem intent on fighting until the bitter end, the team continues to languish under .500 and sits five games behind the Mariners in the AL West. They’re 7.5 games back in the Wild Card chase and they’d have to overtake five teams to grab one of the postseason spots.
If the Rangers hit a losing skid coming out of the All-Star break, they might opt to move some key pieces. Texas has a couple starting pitchers on expiring deals that the team could trade at the deadline. Andrew Heaney would be a nice get for St. Louis as a mid-rotation starter.
In 19 appearances this year for the Rangers, the 33-year-old Heaney has put up a 3.79 ERA while striking out 97 batters in 95 innings. He’s in the final year of his deal with Texas and is making $13 million this season before hitting free agency in 2025.
Michael Lorenzen is another sneaky-good option for the Cardinals. In 16 starts this year Lorenzen, 32, has a 3.52 ERA, an ERA+ of 112 and 1.6 WAR in 92 innings. He’s making a reasonable $4.5 million in 2024 and becomes a free agent next season.
Either pitcher would go a long way toward bolstering St. Louis’ rotation, protecting the bullpen and helping the team reach the postseason. However, if the Cardinals want to break the bank, they should pursue Nathan Eovaldi.
The two-time All-Star has been excellent in 16 starts for the Rangers this season, posting a 2.97 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, an ERA+ of 133 and 2.5 WAR with 92 strikeouts in 94 innings.
Eovaldi is a level up from the other Rangers options as he would be a frontline starter for the Cardinals and could help lead them in the postseason – as he did for Texas last year. However, the 34-year-old hurler isn’t cheap. He’s making $16 million this season and has a $20 million option next year before becoming a free agent in 2026.
Additionally, a number of teams could covet the pitcher, which would drive up the asking price. However, he’s still likely to cost less than high-end deadline chips like the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet or the Toronto Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt. The Rangers’ mid-tier starters make a lot of sense but if the Cardinals want to make a trade deadline statement, Eovaldi would be a great option.
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