Trade For Young Stud Red Sox Hurler Makes Perfect Sense For Cardinals After Rough Start

Should the Cardinals swing a trade for the young Red Sox hurler?

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't played as expected to open the 2023 season.

St. Louis returned much of the same roster that won 93 games in 2022 but has gotten off to a 3-7 start through the first 10 games of the new season. The Cardinals already have dealt with injuries, but still, the club hasn't lived up to expectations so far. 

One of the biggest reasons why the Cardinals have struggled to open the 2023 season has been the team's pitching. St. Louis' bullpen has been solid so far this season, but the starting pitching hasn't followed suit. The Cardinals have an abysmal 5.96 ERA through 10 games. Longtime hurler Adam Wainwright should help when he returns from injury, but one move the Cardinals potentially could make that would help would be a trade for Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck. 

Boston has a surplus of starting pitching but is thin in the outfield with the latest wrist injury to slugger Adam Duvall. The Cardinals have a surplus in the outfield and one player to monitor would be Tyler O'Neill. The 27-year-old has made headlines this season for the wrong reasons and there seems to be some tension in the outfield. St. Louis may not be looking to deal O'Neill -- especially with the outfielder not becoming a free agent until after the 2025 season -- but a move for Houck may make sense. 

Houck is under team control and is just 26 years old. The tall right-handed pitcher is 2-0 so far this season with a 4.50 ERA. Houck has bounced around between the big leagues and Triple-A but is in his fourth season with the Red Sox. He has seen time in the starting rotation as well as in the bullpen and has seen success in both areas. Boston also has dealt with a plethora of injuries but the club has starting pitchers returning soon so there could be a logjam coming. Houck could be the perfect fit in a St. Louis rotation and give the club another young weapon. 

While new move is likely, Houck should be a player to look out for as the season continues for the Cardinals. 

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