Underrated Stud Hurler Could Be Missing Piece For Cardinals Struggling Rotation

St. Louis could nab an underrated hurler to fix its rotation

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to be heavy in the trade market for starting pitching ahead of the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. 

St. Louis is widely expected to be a buyer ahead of the August 1 deadline and a move for a starting pitcher makes the most sense. The Cardinals' offense has been solid and the bullpen has impressed at times but the rotation has been the team's Achilles heel so far this season. 

The Cardinals long have been rumored to looking to acquire a new starting pitcher and likely could trade at least one of their young outfielders to get a deal done. St. Louis has been connected to each of the expected big-name hurlers that may be dealt like Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito or Detroit Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, but a smaller move may be all they need. 

One hurler who could be the perfect fit and potentially could be acquired is Cleveland Guardians' right-handed starter, Aaron Civale. 

Cleveland is 25-30 so far this season and has been rumored to be sellers around the trade deadline. The Guardians have former Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber who could be a perfect addition, but his price tag likely will be astronomical. If the Guardians enter full rebuild mode, Civale would be a very intriguing addition. He is just 27 years old and has shown some impressive flashes so far in five seasons.

Civale has compiled a 2.84 ERA through two starts this season but has missed time due to injury. The righty is expected to rejoin Cleveland's starting rotation shortly and now is healthy. He has compiled a 4.04 ERA in 65 career starts and has plenty of upside. His best season was in 2021 when he pitched to a 3.84 ERA and a 12-5 record in 21 starts. Last season he wasn't as successful with a 4.92 ERA in 20 appearances, but he is just 27 years old and should be starting to get into his prime.

St. Louis' rotation has struggled so far this season, but it has some interesting pieces. Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, and Jack Flaherty all have started to look like themselves as of late. The Cardinals have flirted with the idea of adding No. 4 prospect Matthew Liberatore to the rotation and Adam Wainwright should improve shortly. Civale is under team control through 2026 and if acquired, could be a perfect back-of-the-rotation guy with extreme upside. He's on a cheap deal and could provide the club the flexibility to keep the rest of the rotation in place and help give the team an opportunity to win each game. 

A deal for someone like Giolito or Rodriguez would be perfect, but there's sure to be plenty of competition. If St. Louis can nab a larger fish, Civale could be the perfect backup option and missing piece for the rotation for the next few years. 

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