Padres Listed As Trade Fit For Cardinals' $15 Million Right-Hander

How will San Diego add to ensure contention down the stretch?

Jul 23, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of a San Diego Padres hat and glove in the dugout prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres at loanDepot park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have some important roster decisions looming.

As the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline approaches, the 43-36 Cardinals will have to weigh pushing for the playoffs against cashing in on some of their expiring assets.

With a pitching staff featuring multiple potentially trade chips in the form of expiring deals, the Cardinals could easily capitalize on the market.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote about the possibility of the Cardinals trading Erick Fedde on Tuesday.

“Chance of trade: 50%," they said. "Fedde's strikeout and walk numbers have regressed from his breakout 2024 season (after coming back from a stint in the KBO), but he's allowing less damage on batted balls to keep him in the rotation. Best fits: San Diego (Padres), Toronto (Blue Jays), Houston (Astros).”

The Padres are definitely focused on winning now, and adding a veteran rental like Fedde could help stabilize their rotation, especially with Michael King and Yu Darvish spending time on the Injured List.

Snagging Fedde and his $7.5 million salary would be a low-cost addition that wouldn't prevent the Padres from making other pivotal moves before the deadline.

The Padres view themselves as contenders, but they'll need to add in a savvy way to ensure that their roster has as few holes as possible heading down the stretch.

All eyes will be on the Cardinals between now and the deadline, with guys like Fedde, Nolan Arenado, and Ryan Helsley being targets for plenty of clubs.

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