Cardinals Called Best Landing Spot for Veteran Giants Starter with Deadline Close

An affordable rotation upgrade may be available for St. Louis.

Mar 7, 2019; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom looks on before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are going through a bit of a rough patch. They have now lost three consecutive games and have watched their lead in the National League wild card race shrink.

The trade deadline is coming soon, and the Cardinals have some decisions to make. They must stay true to their rebuild, but if they remain in contention, there is an argument to make for them to not sell.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named the Cardinals the best landing spot for right-hander Tyler Mahle, who is in the final year of his contract with the struggling San Francisco Giants.

Cardinals Named Top Fit for Tyler Mahle

May 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) throws in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

"Tyler Mahle has pitched well at Oracle Park, with six starts yielding a 3.90 ERA and a .701 OPS. His five road starts have resulted in an 8.88 ERA and a 1.001 OPS, which suggests he needs a friendly park if he's going to change teams," Rymer wrote.

"According to Statcast, Busch Stadium is the next-best park for suppressing homers after Oracle Park. And it happens that the Cardinals are in the middle of a surprise contention push, and one which could use a boost from another starter."

Mahle has made 11 starts with the Giants this season, going 1-7 with a 6.04 ERA. Obviously, his numbers at home have been much better than his numbers on the road.

But because Busch Stadium is more pitcher friendly, he could benefit from having an opportunity to pitch for the Cardinals. His struggles this season also indicate that if the Cardinals are going to make a play for him, they won't have to give up much in their farm system. He would be purely a rental, but not one that is going to force Chaim Bloom to break the bank by dealing top prospects.

The Cardinals are still in front in the wild card race and are within striking distance of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, so there is still a shot for them to reach the postseason.

Mahle's contract is affordable, as he is making $10 million this year before entering free agency, so that wouldn't be too much of a deal for the Cardinals to take on.

It will be interesting to see what Chaim Bloom is thinking though. The Cardinals have decisions to make at the deadline, and they need to choose what direction they want to go.