Insider Suggests Cardinals Could Trade Young Sluggers To Add Pitching

St. Louis needs to make a big splash in the pitching market over the next few days

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals need to find a way to add an impact-arm to the starting rotation over the next few days.

St. Louis has been resilient all season and now has an inside track to a National League playoff spot. The Cardinals are a good team that is one frontline starter away from possibly being a great team down the stretch.

The Cardinals' top priority over the next five days clearly will be adding pitching and The Athletic's Jim Bowden suggested the Seattle Mariners could be a great trade partner and mentioned Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson as trade candidates.

"They certainly match up well," Bowden said. "If the Mariners are willing to trade one of the starting pitchers on the back end of their rotation, I could see the Cardinals offering Nolan Gorman or Alec Burleson to try to get a deal done. If I'm the Mariners though, I'm not trading any of the starting pitchers from the Major League club."

Seattle's offense has struggled and it needs to add some pop to the middle of the order. The Cardinals' offense is clicking right now but there is a clear hole in the starting rotation. It would be tough to part with Gorman or Burleson, but landing a starting pitcher -- and specifically one from Seattle -- could help take the Cardinals to another level.

St. Louis has completely turned its season around but the five days are going to be important if it wants to actually compete for a World Series title.

More MLB: Insider 'Expects' Cardinals To Land One Of Top Starters On Trade Block