Cardinals Could Cut Ties With Reliable Reliever In Trade With Royals

The Cardinals could make a deal with their cross-state rivals.

Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are prepared to enter a rebuild and take a step back from contending in 2025. They won't be adding any free agents and will rather look to trade players away and beef up their minor league system.

St. Louis finished 83-79 but missed the postseason for the second straight year in 2024. Now, the time has come for a transition.

One player they could look to trade away is reliever John King. He has been one of the team's top relievers since being acquired from the Texas Rangers in 2023.

Jacob Milham of FanSided listed King as a potential trade target for the Kansas City Royals.

"King arrived in St. Louis via a 2023 trade with the Texas Rangers, included as part of the package for pitchers Chris Stratton and Jordan Montgomery," Milham wrote. "Initially seen as a trade sweetener, King has become a solid addition for the Cardinals, posting a 2.52 ERA and 1.23 WHIP since joining. While he won’t rack up strikeouts, averaging just 5.5 K/9 over 76 games, he keeps walks down, induces groundballs, and relies on strong infield defense to get outs."

The Cardinals are trying to clear space for some of their younger players this offseason. King is a veteran on a cheap contract and is somebody that teams like the Royals might have interest in if they are looking to upgrade their bullpens.

St. Louis likely won't get much in return but could present an opportunity for some of their younger pitchers.

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