The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to chase down the San Francisco Giants for a wild card spot and return to October for the first time since 2022. This all comes in a season that was supposed to set up a smooth transition for Chaim Bloom to take over as president of baseball operations.
Meanwhile, MLB Insider Jeff Passan of ESPN tags them to be buying at the deadline, and says Tampa Bay Rays starter Taj Bradley is a fit for the Cardinals’ plans.
The Cardinals have had poor performances this season from Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas in their starting rotation, and they want to seriously contend in October; there needs to be a fresh arm added to the roster. This is where Bradley would step in and be around this season and beyond.
Bradley is 24 years old and is under team control until 2030. While he has been subpar statistically this season, he has produced back-to-back seasons with a 10-plus strikeouts per nine innings. Entering Friday, the right-hander had also produced a 47.7 ground ball percentage, and if they were to match that with the infield of St. Louis, it is hard to believe his rate numbers would not go down.
The deterrent for the Cardinals is that the Rays are in no position to move Bradley right now, but with the looming return of Shane McClanahan and a deep starting rotation, Bradley could be on the way out if the Cardinals decided to clear up the logjam behind the plate in the minor leagues.
The Cardinals have the next two weeks to evaluate and decide on starting pitchers that they are willing to trade future pieces, and if they truly can contend for a playoff spot this season.
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