Cardinals Reportedly Could Deal All-Star Months After Trading For Him

St. Louis might part ways with a veteran talent this summer

Apr 22, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge (27) / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have lost seven out of their last nine games and are on pace to be sellers at the trade deadline, just as they were last year.

Fans are frustrated and many are beginning to theorize who the Cardinals will deal away before August 1. A notable trade candidate is closer Ryan Helsley -- who's dominated in 2024 and could help St. Louis retrieve a haul of players in an exchange.

There are a plethora of St. Louis players on the chopping block to be dealt with this summer, but there's a lesser-mentioned former All-Star who could be on the move.

"You want to talk about getting a haul of players," St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold said on MLB Network on Friday. "You are talking about (Helsley) and Andrew Kittredge, who they acquired from Tampa Bay. He has pitched well and could help a lot of teams when they shorten the game in October."

Kittredge has posted a 1.20 ERA with a 15-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .208 batting average against and a 0.93 WHIP in 15 innings pitched so far this season.

The 34-year-old reliever has been a top contributor to the Cardinals' dominant bullpen -- which is arguably one of the best in the league.

Given that Kittredge will enter free agency at the end of this season, it's likely that St. Louis will consider trading him if they decide to sell at the deadline.

It's disappointing that the Cardinals successfully retooled the pitching staff and now we're talking about seeing them trading away high-performing hurlers. Hopefully, the lineup figures it out soon or we're looking at having to say goodbye to some key players this summer

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