St. Louis Cardinals Are a Top Suitor for San Francisco Giants Ace

The St. Louis Cardinals have been named a top potential trade suitor for San Francisco Giants' ace Blake Snell.

Apr 19, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) reacts after walking an Arizona Diamondbacks batter during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants have been mentioned in a lot of trade rumors leading up to the July 30th MLB trade deadline. Blake Snell is a name that has come up often as well.

Snell got off to a brutal start this year, but has since started turning things around.

In his last two outings, Snell has hurled 12 scoreless innings to go along with just two hits, three walks, and 11 strikeouts. He has started looking like the ace that he's more than capable of being.

That resurgence has driven his trade interest up dramatically. There are plenty of teams around baseball that need help in their starting rotations. Snell could very well end up being a highly sought-after trade target.

With that being said, the Giants still have to make a decision about whether or not they're going to be open to selling. They are viewed as a team that could go either direction. San Francisco could try to buy talent or they might sell and re-tool for the future.

Should they make Snell available, there are a few teams that are being viewed as the top potential trade suitors for him.

In a recent column by the New York Times, the St. Louis Cardinals were named one of the top potential trade partners for the Giants in a Snell trade.

So far this season, the Cardinals have been one of the most under-the-radar teams that could be a legitimate contender. Right now, they hold a 52-47 record and are just five games back in the National League Central division race.

Acquiring a star pitcher like Snell would be a big boost to their chances of contention.

Along with St. Louis, there were two other teams mentioned as potential trade suitors. Those teams were the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros. Outside of those three teams, there are still a few more that might make sense depending on what other teams do at the deadline.

At 31 years old, Snell is still a very valuable pitcher to have. He does have a player option on the 2025 season as well. If he lands in a good situation, he could exercise that and be a part of his new team next season.

While he has another year with a player option, many teams will want to approach the situation as a half-season rental. That would drive the price down as well.

If San Francisco chooses to move on from Snell, the Cardinals are going to be a team to watch. The Giants entering the selling market would also make for a much busier trade deadline as a whole.