The St. Louis Cardinals are one of baseball’s biggest disappointments this season.
Exiting the All-Star break in the NL Central cellar at 38-52, the Cardinals are in jeopardy of finishing under .500 for the first time since 2007. St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed that he plans to be a seller at the upcoming Aug. 1 trade deadline.
“Right now, I can tell you that we’re going to trade people,” Mozeliak recently said to FOX 2’s Marin Kilcoyne. “I just don’t know if it’ll be household names or more guys that just aren’t going to be here next year.”
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With those comments in mind, here are five Cardinals players the Giants could target in a trade later this month:
SP Jack Flaherty
The Giants’ rotation really is down to ace Logan Webb, All-Star Alex Cobb and a bunch of long relievers.
Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling have struggled this season, and Anthony DeSclafani owns a 6.02 ERA since May 8. It remains to be seen if Keaton Winn is a long-term answer. Top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison doesn’t appear ready for his big league debut just yet due to a hamstring injury.
San Francisco Giants
Why not trade for a rental?
Flaherty will become a free agent this winter after spending seven years in St. Louis.
In 17 starts this season, Flaherty owns a 4.27 ERA, 4.01 FIP and 8.6 K/9. He’s been shelled a few times in 2023, notably for 10 runs against the Los Angeles Angels in May and six runs against the Giants over 4 1/3 innings last month. But he does own six quality starts and is coming off back-to-back scoreless outings.
Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but he could slide in as the Giants’ third starter in a playoff series.
SP Jordan Montgomery
Speaking of starting pitchers, Montgomery is another expiring contract the Cardinals might want to flip into some future assets.
The 30-year-old left-hander has been fantastic since being traded from the New York Yankees to St. Louis last summer, logging a 3.19 ERA and 1.170 WHIP in 29 career starts as a Cardinal. Montgomery has been on fire of late, allowing just seven earned runs over his last seven starts (1.48 ERA).
The Cardinals likely will ask for more for Montgomery than Flaherty, but again, he'd give the Giants a strong third starting option that's left-handed -- a role the organization hopes Harrison will fill soon enough.
IF/OF Tommy Edman
The Giants prioritize versatility when building their roster. Versatility also happens to be Edman’s best trait.
Edman has started at four different positions this season -- shortstop (28 games), center field (24) second base (19) and right field (6). He plays solid defense everywhere he goes and even won a Gold Glove at second base in 2021.
The 28-year-old is in the middle of his worst offensive season, however, batting just .237 with an 88 OPS+. He’s hitting just .205/.285/.371 the past four seasons since smacking a career-high 30 homers in 2019.
The offensive woes aside, any team could use Edman’s defense and speed, even the Giants despite rookies Casey Schmitt and Luis Matos providing the team with a needed dose of youth and athleticism this summer.
Edman is under team control through 2025, which greatly increases the price tag, but it's a call Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi might want to make.
RP Jordan Hicks
Hicks will hit the open market this winter after one of the best seasons of his career.
The 26-year-old flamethrower has logged an absurd 13.5 K/9 in 36 2/3 innings this season to go along with a 3.93 ERA and 3.12 FIP. Hicks struggled to start the year but has notched a 1.90 ERA and .179 opponent batting average in his last 22 outings.
Hicks consistently hits 100 mph on the radar gun, but control always has been his Achilles heel. He's allowing nearly six walks per nine innings this season and averages 1.5 hits or walks per frame, which would qualify him for some all-too-familiar Giants Torture in San Francisco.
The Giants appear content with their late-game gauntlet of Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers and All-Star closer Camilo Doval out of the bullpen, but if Hicks can be acquired for cheap -- why not?
1B Paul Goldschmidt
In case you haven’t heard, Goldschmidt loves mashing at Oracle Park.
Goldschmidt has posted a 1.010 OPS and 15 homers in 82 career games as an opponent in San Francisco.
Goldschmidt will turn 36 years old in September, but he’s got plenty of juice for the next few years. He’s not even a full year removed from winning the 2022 NL MVP award and is batting .284/.369/.475 with 15 homers this season. Goldschmidt wouldn't be a rental, either, as he's owed $22 million in the final year of his contract in 2024.
Giants fans have been tormented by Goldschmidt for his entire career, which started with the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011. All would be forgiven, though, if he joined the lineup wearing the Orange and Black.