Deal For Former All-Star Pitcher Could Be Big Splash Needed To Put Cardinals Over Top
The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten off to a slow start this season, but have the talent the compete for a World Series title.
St. Louis is 5-8 through 13 games but won 93 games a year ago and seemingly improved the roster heading into this season -- at least on paper. The Cardinals' offense has been as expected, but the pitching has struggled so far this season.
The Cardinals' starting rotation should improve once Adam Wainwright returns from injury, but one big-name player who the club should monitor throughout the season and make a deal for if he becomes available is San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood.
The 32-year-old has gotten off to a red-hot start to begin the season for the Giants and has compiled a minuscule 1.17 ERA through two starts. San Francisco may not want to deal the lefty, but he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023 season and could sign elsewhere. San Francisco is 5-7 through 12 games and should be in contention for a playoff spot this season, but if the team struggles this season maybe Wood could be a potential trade deadline candidate.
Wood has spent his entire 11-year career in the National League and has saw time with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Giants and has been dependable. The 32-year-old was named an All-Star in 2017 as a member of the Dodgers. Wood somewhat struggled in 2022 and compiled a 5.10 ERA in 26 starts, but has a career ERA of 3.67 and has shown no signs of slowing down yet this season.
There's no way for sure to know if the Giants would even consider trading Wood, but if they did the Cardinals should be first in line. St. Louis' rotation has seen its fair share of struggles this season but should shake off some of the rust and improve in the near future. If the club were to add a player like Woods into the mix it would just add another layer to the staff and help take the Cardinals to another level.
The Cardinals are loaded with talent and should be in the postseason conversation when the season comes to an end. If the club could add a player like Wood around the trade deadline, it would just cement this fact even more.
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