Cardinals 'Should Capitalize' On Trade Markets For Pair Of Veteran Hurlers

St. Louis needs to be wise at this summer's trade deadline

Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are stuck between wanting to commit to a rebuild and hoping to make a legitimate playoff push this year for the first time since 2022.

The July 31 trade deadline is less than two weeks away and the Cardinals have several impending free agents who could be moved, such as right-handed pitchers Miles Mikolas and Ryan Helsley.

Some Cardinals fans are concerned that trading away talent before the deadline will harm the franchise's chance of reaching the postseason. However, one insider's suggestion provides hope for St. Louis' future if it decides to part ways with a pair of veteran hurlers this summer.

"Trade middle relievers Steven Matz and Phil Maton," CBS Sports' Dayn Perry wrote Monday afternoon as he suggested three moves the Cardinals should make before this year's trade deadline. "Elsewhere in the bullpen, the Cardinals should capitalize on the markets for veteran walk-year arms Matz and Maton. The lefty Matz should have particular appeal. He's enjoyed a strong season in St. Louis primarily as a multi-inning, high-leverage reliever. Matz has also made a pair of starts (and 172 starts in his career), so it would be easy enough to stretch him out for rotation work. That's of note in what figures to be a tight deadline market for starting pitching. This season, Matz boasts an ERA of 3.29 and an FIP of 2.90, and he's walked just nine batters in 52 innings."

Matz and Maton are set to become free agents after this season ends. They will garner trade interest from contenders looking to bolster their bullpen -- or even their rotation with Matz -- before heading into the playoffs.

"As for Maton, he's enjoyed a velocity rebound in 2025, and he's getting more whiffs with his curve," Perry continued. "He's owed pennies by Major League Baseball standards -- the balance of a $2 million contract for 2025 -- and Maton is on pace to strike out more than 30% of opposing batters across a full season for the first time in his career. As for what gutting the bullpen would do to the Cardinals' wild-card hopes, they have a large number of 'roster churn' relievers who have been optioned back and forth this season but are now ready for consistent duty at the highest level. In leverage roles, Gordon Graceffo, Riley O'Brien, Matt Svanson, Andre Granillo and JoJo Romero can step into the breach. There's depth, in other words, and the Cardinals would be dealing from a position of theoretical strength." 

Despite Matz and Maton being integral parts of the Cardinals' bullpen this season, which ranks ninth with a 3.70 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, St. Louis has a plethora of young hurlers who could potentially fill in both relievers' shoes.

Considering how dominant Matz and Maton have been in the Cardinals' bullpen this year, trading them to a top contender before the deadline should help St. Louis reel in a decent haul of top prospects -- helping the organization move forward with its rebuilding journey.

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