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Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Linked To Massive Trade For $15.5 Million Rival Ace

The Cardinals could be active at the trade deadline...
Zach Pressnell|
Apr 19, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) laughs with St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) after tagging Contreras out at home plate in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
Apr 19, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) laughs with St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) after tagging Contreras out at home plate in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to be quite active ahead of the trade deadline this season, but nobody really knows what their approach is going to be. The Cardinals have some trade chips they could deal away, but there are also some glaring holes to fill on the roster.

St. Louis could find themselves on the fence, which might push them toward selling some expiring players while buying on the controllable talent on the trade block.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel recently listed the Cardinals as one of the "best fits" in a massive trade for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. Passan and McDaniel noted they believe Peralta only has a 20 percent chance of being traded, though.

"Peralta has been a steady presence for years, averaging 140 innings pitched with a 3.49 ERA over the past four seasons," They wrote. "He's on track to do that again, with his heavily used fastball coming in at a career-high average velo of 94.9 mph this season. He has an ultra-cheap $8 million option for 2026."

This trade is a bit of a long shot, largely because the Brewers and Cardinals are directly competing for a postseason spot and division title at the moment.

But Peralta fits the Cardinals' future. He comes with a club option for $8 million in 2026, which would likely be picked up by whatever team has him on roster. With the addition of Peralta and another offseason to improve, the Cardinals would be in a much better spot than they are right now.

Again, it's not incredibly realistic but the idea of adding a controllable ace at the top of the rotation makes a lot of sense for St. Louis.

More MLB: Cardinals Predicted To Add Superstar Prospect In Blockbuster Trade

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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