Could Cardinals Deal Pair Of Starters To Braves As Part Of Rebuild?

The Cardinals have yet to kick off their "reset."

Sep 20, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Steven Matz (32) pitches against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals talked a big game early in the offseason when they stated that they would be focusing on youth in 2025 rather than trying to contend. However, they have not made one move to shed any payroll or even add to their group of young players.

They have yet to trade Nolan Arenado and may ultimately be forced to trade a starting pitcher or two to lower their payroll for this season. This includes Erick Fedde and Steven Matz.

Mark Powell of FanSided noted that the Atlanta Braves could be a trade partner, and Braves insider David O'Brien also noted that this is a route the Braves could take.

"The Braves need starting pitching, especially after losing Max Fried in free agency and potentially Charlie Morton as well. A middle-of-the-rotation starter like Fedde or Matz could do wonders for Atlanta," Powell wrote.

Matz struggled to stay healthy for much of 2024 and ultimately was out for most of the season with back issues. Meanwhile, Fedde was acqured at the trade deadline from the Chicago White Sox.

These two starters likely won't fetch a big return for the Cardinals, but it would be smart for St. Louis to trade away veterans on expiring contracts if they don't plan to contend in 2025. This is a route the Cardinals will have to take if they can't trade Arenado, as they have already seemingly decided to hold on to Ryan Helsley.

We'll see which direction St. Louis decid

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