Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Trade Deadline Approach Will Have Impact On Top Prospects

Quinn Mathews or Tink Hence could be in the big leagues by the end of this season.
Zach Pressnell|
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have been through quite a bit over the last few months. They've struggled at times while also running off huge win streaks. For a while, the Cardinals seemed like true contenders in the National League and the NL Central.

But in June, they've fallen flat on their face. They're struggling to win a series right now after dropping three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers. To make matters worse, one of the teams competing against the Cardinals for an NL postseason spot, the San Francisco Giants, recently landed Rafael Devers in a blockbuster trade.

This trade seems like the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals potential postseason contention this year. There's almost no way St. Louis can close the gap on the loaded NL Wild Card race at this point, which will likely cause them to sell.

The Cardinals could open up a spot on the big league roster for one of their top prospects, either Quinn Mathews or Tink Hence, by trading away some veteran pitchers in moves to sell.

If the Cardinals opt to sell, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas will likely end up on the trade block. Sonny Gray could potentially join them if he opts to waive his no-trade clause.

If the Cardinals are able to trade one, two, or all three of these pitchers, they could replace them with the talented top prospects.

Both Mathews and Hence are rehabbing injuries right now, so neither guy seems close to a big league debut. But they're incredibly talented arms with the potential to form into a dominant pair of aces.

If the Cardinals opt to sell, I wouldn't be surprised to see one or both of these top prospects land in St. Louis at some point this season.

More MLB: Dodgers Need To Trade For Cardinals Star After Rafael Devers Blockbuster

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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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