White Sox Star Could Be Perfect Answer To Get Cardinals Season Back On Track
The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled so far this season but that doesn't mean the club doesn't have any potential.
St. Louis currently sits at the bottom of the National League Central standings with a disappointing 9-16 record. The Cardinals currently are eight and a half games behind the surprising first-place Pittsburgh Pirates, but there's still plenty of time left this season for St. Louis to get back on track.
If the Cardinals were to get back to the level they were at last season when they won 93 games, it would take an improvement to the starting rotation. St. Louis' rotation has been one of the worst in all of the baseball so far this season so an external candidate could be needed. One big name the Cardinals could pursue certainly would be Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease.
The 27-year-old has developed into one of the most dominant right-handed pitchers in the American League but Chicago has been similarly disappointing as the Cardinals. The White Sox are 7-18 and if they are unable to get back on track by the trade deadline it would be understandable if the club opted to be sellers and look to rebuild.
Cease is under team control and won't be a free agent until 2026, so Chicago very well could prefer to hang on to the fireballer. If they did look for a full rebuild, Cease likely would command one of the biggest trade packages of anyone on the team's roster. The star hurler has shined so far this season and even with the White Sox's struggles, has compiled a 2-0 record and 2.73 ERA across a league-leading five starts.
The righty compiled a minuscule 2.20 ERA in 2022 across 32 starts and has proven to be one of the best young pitchers in baseball. He is the perfect candidate to give St. Louis a true ace and get its rotation back on track. The Cardinals have the hitting to compete and put themselves in contention for a World Series title, but if they don't improve the rotation they won't have any chance.
As we get closer to the summer trade deadline there's sure to be many more names that pop up on the trade block, but if Cease is available, St. Louis should call sooner rather than later.
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