Cardinals Could Bolster Rotation With Trade For 27-Year-Old Hurler

Though the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to sell at the trade deadline, they can still add some pieces for their future.

Mar 3, 2017; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals hats and gloves on the steps of the dugout in the game against the Washington Nationals at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals are likely going to act as sellers at the impending trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean that the team can’t get some solid pieces in return.

The Cardinals’ success has been one of the biggest surprises in the league this season, but after an extremely slow start to the second half of the year, the team is sitting three games out of the final wild-card playoff spot. St. Louis was ready to sit back amid a rebuilding year and will likely sell off some players by the trade deadline. 

One position where the Cardinals are loaded with depth is catcher. In addition to All-Star Iván Herrera, the team also has Pedro Pagés and rookie Jimmy Crooks. While St. Louis has plenty of catching depth, one area where the team could use more depth is its starting rotation. With that in mind, ESPN’s David Schoenfield predicted that the Cardinals would trade with the Seattle Mariners to acquire 27-year-old hurler Emerson Hancock.

St. Louis selling seems all but certain at this point

Jul 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (48) hits a two run double against the Cincinnati Reds during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The Mariners have six starters, with Kade Anderson more than ready for a big league call-up, so it's likely they trade one of them, and Hancock's name has popped up most often,” Schoenfield wrote on Friday. “That's in part because he has arguably been their best starter, but also because Luis Castillo's contract will make him difficult to trade and George Kirby's mediocre season has decreased his trade value.

“Hancock is under team control through 2030 and the Mariners will likely want a major league bat in return. Ivan Herrera is a possible match here if the Mariners see value in a full-time DH (they should) and occasional backup catcher. The Cardinals have plenty of catching depth but need pitching help. These two teams made the Brendan Donovan trade this past offseason, so they've worked together before -- and this trade would help both in the present and beyond.”

Hancock would be a solid addition to St. Louis’ rotation, especially since the four-year veteran is under team control until the 2031 season. The veteran pitcher is having the best season of his career in the big leagues, posting a 3.26 ERA with a career-high 102 strikeouts across 20 starts this year. 

Giving up a player as good as Herrera could be a big loss for the Cardinals, but acquiring a pitcher like Hancock would give them a reliable starter to count on for years to come.