REPORT: Guardians Expressed Trade Interest For Pair Of Cardinals Pitchers

The Cleveland Guardians have reportedly checked in on St. Louis Cardinals pitchers Erick Fedde and Steven Matz.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde (12) delivers a pitch in the first inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Guardians' 2025 rotation is starting to come together after re-signing Shane Bieber and trading for RHP Luiz Ortiz from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

However, the Guardians could still benefit from adding another arm to the rotation, especially since Bieber may not return until July or even August.

John Denton, Mark Feinsand, and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recently published an article detailing the St. Louis Cardinals' possible plans heading into the 2025 season.

During their story, they mentioned that the Cardinals may look to "reset," which could mean that multiple players could be on the move. That's where the Guardians play into all of this.

"Meanwhile, veteran starting pitchers Erick Fedde and Steven Matz have drawn trade interest from the Tigers and Guardians, the source added," wrote the trio of insiders.

Aug 7, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde (12) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

There are two interesting takeaways from this report.

One is that the Guardians are still looking and exploring adding more pitchers to their rotation. The second is that they could be competing against a division rival in the Detroit Tigers, who the Guardians defeated in the ALDS just a few months ago.

Looking at the pitchers mentioned, either Steven Matz or Erick Fedde would be perfect options to add to Cleveland's rotation for 2025.

Matz started seven games for St. Louis last year and has a 6.12 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in that role. Fedde split his time with the Cardinals and Chicago White Sox in 2024 and had a 3.30 ERA, 4.05 FIP, and a 113 ERA+.

It will be interesting to see if these rumors and reports involving the Guardians and Cardinals continue this winter and if trade between the two organizations comes to fruition.