Cardinals Named As Possible Landing Spot For 'Best Pitcher In Baseball

St. Louis has the means to get a major trade done over the next few days
Jul 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (not pictured) in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 12, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (not pictured) in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
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The St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation could use an upgrade.

This is easier said than done. St. Louis was in the market for starting pitching help this past offseason and landing Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson early on. The Cardinals were linked to a handful of other hurlers as there still was a hole in the rotation but didn't get another deal done.

St. Louis now is looking like a real postseason threat in the National League and should be doing everything it can to improve the rotation to help make it easier to compete for a Wild Card spot or even the National League Central crown.

Plenty of players have been linked to the Cardinals in recent weeks as it has become more clear that they are going to add at the deadline rather than selling. St. Louis has the means to get a major deal done if it wants but likely will end up settling for more of a depth trade.

If the Cardinals do want to take a major swing, though, Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer listed them as a possible long-shot option for Detroit Tigers superstar Tarik Skubal.

"The Detroit Tigers ace is arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, and he's undeniably the best player available in this last week before the July 30 trade deadline," Rymer said. "Current Rotation: Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson.

"The starters the Cardinals have don't miss many bats, so getting a guy like Skubal would be the best possible upgrade. But is this team worthy of such a huge splash? It only has a loose hold on a wild-card spot, and its future is short on certainty."

St. Louis is worth investing in. The Cardinals have been resilient all season and have shown that they can stack up wins. The Cardinals have a chance to make some noise without Skubal, imagine how they would look with him.

More MLB: Cardinals Called 'Best Fit' For Rangers Flamethrower In Deadline Trade


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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu