The Trade Deadline is coming! - A Hunt and Peck

What will the Cardinals do?

By lil_scooter93 Jul 26, 2019, 1:00pm EDT

MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates

The Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is quickly approaching and this year, this is the only deadline there is. The Cardinals have recently made a big push to get to the top of the NL Central standings, making what they do before July 31 a potentially Big Deal. Here is what the rumor mill is churning, along with my thoughts:

Rumor: The Cardinals could trade Carlos Martínez

Likelihood: 10%

The Cardinals should be making a push, so trading Carlos Martínez just does not make a lot of sense for them. He also has a very team-friendly contract and his value in a trade is probably at the lowest it has ever been. John LaRue broke all this down even further in post last week.

Rumor: The Cardinals could trade an outfielder

Likelihood: 35%

This seems like the place the Cardinals can most afford to trade from, however the trade value for these players are pretty low. Dexter Fowler has had a comeback year, but his contract will dissuade most potential trade partners. Marcell Ozuna is in his final year of his contract and is currently on the Injured List. José Martínez is José Martínez: a good bat with a glove that can kind of play in a corner outfield spot if you squint a little, though an American League team could be a good fit. Harrison Bader has recently fallen on some hard times at the plate. Tyler O’Neill seems the most likely candidate to land with another team of this outfield bunch.

Rumor: The Cardinals could acquire Madison Bumgarner

Likelihood: 15%

A pitching upgrade is something the Cardinals are in sore need of and Madison Bumgarner would certainly fill that need. The Giants have recently gone on a run, though, and it seems like they might be set to hold on to their cranky lefty.

Rumor: The Cardinals could acquire a left-handed reliever

Likelihood: 75%

If the Cardinals do one thing at the deadline, this is what they will do. While having a lefty in the bullpen really is not as important to teams as it used to seem to be (it is more important to just have relievers of any handedness that can get outs, if you ask me, which you did not), the Cardinals are a team that historically prefers to have at least one. With Chasen Shreve recently designated for assignment, this leaves Andrew Miller as the lone lefty along with internal options like Genesis Cabrera and Tyler Webb. Miller is typically used to pitch to any side of the plate and has struggled this year. Cabrera and Webb are not as tough on lefties as the team would like. Really, a lights out reliever of any hand could be a nice get for the Cardinals, but it seems like the lefties are where they might focus their efforts. Jake Diekman has drawn interest from the team, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com.

Of course, this is just what I think. What do you think the Cardinals will do at the deadline?