Cardinals Could Bolster Bullpen In Shocking Deadline Deal For St. Louis Native

St. Louis should make a move for the flamethrower

Jul 29, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the second inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals need to strengthen their pitching staff before the July 30 trade deadline, which might require the organization to make shocking moves.

The pitching market is slim and the Cardinals will have to be bold to land what they're looking for. Starting pitching is at the top of the priorities list but additions to the bullpen wouldn't hurt either.

To bolster the bullpen, the Cardinals could aggressively pursue a flamethrower who would take St. Louis' arsenal to another level.

"Pete Fairbanks is enticing regardless of his resume, but the Tampa Bay (Rays) closer is from St. Louis (Webster Groves High, to answer your question) and pitched at Mizzou, too," St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Benjamin Hochman wrote Monday when discussing how the Cardinals should look to bolster the bullpen before the deadline.

Fairbanks has posted a 2-3 record with a 3.38 ERA, 33-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .222 batting average against and a 1.27 WHIP in 34 2/3 innings pitched for the Rays this season.

The 30-year-old has been a consistently dominant reliever for Tampa Bay the past five seasons and for a team looking to go through a bit of a rebuild -- trading Fairbanks would make sense.

The Rays have Fairbanks signed through 2025 with an affordable $3.667 million salary owed next season and a $7 million club option in 2026.

This could mean that the Cardinals would have to give up a decent haul of prospects and perhaps a position player, such as outfielder Dylan Carlson, to acquire Fairbanks in a trade.

Adding Fairbanks to the No. 4 ranked Cardinals bullpen would give St. Louis everything it needs for the late innings heading into the postseason.

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