Angels All-Star Hurler Rumored To Be Available, Should Cardinals Consider Trade?

St. Louis may want to explore a trade

Jul 30, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak talks with the media after the Cardinals traded relief pitcher Jordan Hicks (not pictured) starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (not pictured) and relief pitcher Chris Stratton (not pictured) at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

The St. Louis Cardinals are sitting at second in the National League Central, and are in a position to acquire a former All-Star to strengthen their bullpen.

With the July 30 trade deadline looming, the Cardinals' mid-season turnaround has placed them in a position to be buyers in just a few weeks. Though their bullpen is one of Major League Baseball's best, one reliever who is rumored to be traded would be a massive addition.

"The Angels are getting bombarded with interest for closer Carlos Estévez, who may be the best reliever available on the market," USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote on Sunday.

Estévez has a 2.89 ERA with a 28-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .192 batting average against and a 0.82 WHIP in 28 innings pitched across 28 games. He's also converted 16 saves in 19 opportunities.

While the Cardinals have the best closer in baseball, right-hander Ryan Helsley, it's always wise to find high-leverage options that are comfortable closing in a pinch.

The righty is rumored to be a hot commodity this summer, so St. Louis would need to act fast to get a deal done with the Angels. The priority would be to bolster the end of the rotation but if Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak wants to get greedy, it would make sense to further bolster the pitching staff with another shutdown reliever.

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