Cardinals: Commerce Deadline, Nootbaar, Edman, O'Brien

At present’s 8-3 win over the Nationals improved the Cardinals’ file to 47-42, and continued the crew’s spectacular run of play over the past two months.  After stumbling out of the gates to a 15-24 begin, the Playing cards have now received 32 of their final 50 video games, and have surged into the second NL wild card slot.

This has put St. Louis right into a purchaser place because the commerce deadline approaches, and as Ken Rosenthal commented in an look this week on the Foul Territory present (X link), the Playing cards maybe have an fascinating edge over another groups seeking to make strikes.  The Cardinals “have Main League items to commerce,” Rosenthal stated, because the crew may need a little bit of a surplus of place gamers because of some upcoming returns from the injured listing.  With many golf equipment nonetheless straddling the road between being clear-cut patrons or sellers, “groups aren’t going to need to surrender essentially prospects or make sure sorts of strikes.  But when they will fill a necessity with main leaguers out of your membership, and offer you maybe extra from their very own, that’s going to be priceless.”

For the reason that Playing cards want beginning pitching, the obvious comp right here is the 2022 deadline commerce that noticed St. Louis acquire Jordan Montgomery from the Yankees in a one-for-one swap for Harrison Bader.  Naturally, discovering a repeat of such a profitable deal isn’t simple, nor are any of the Cardinals’ present commerce chips essentially as priceless as Bader was in 2022, coming off a Gold Glove award and above-average offensive seasons in 2020-21.

Rosenthal prompt that catcher Ivan Herrera or Dylan Carlson may probably be dangled in commerce talks at this deadline.  Former prime prospect Carlson might be seen as a change-of-scenery candidate after two seasons of struggles, and Herrera is possibly superfluous because the Playing cards have Willson Contreras and Pedro Pages at catcher.  (Herrera is himself on the 10-day IL because of decrease again tightness, however is predicted again after the All-Star break.)

Getting these injured gamers again is step one in no matter plans the Cardinals may take into consideration for July 30, and on that entrance, Lars Nootbaar ought to return this week.  An indirect pressure has sidelined Nootbaar because the finish of Could, however he has now banked seven rehab video games with Double-A Springfield.  Cardinals Oliver Marmol advised reporters (together with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that Nootbaar “got here out feeling good” after this current stretch of video games, and technically, Nootbaar might be activated from the 10-day IL as early as Monday.  Nonetheless, because the Cardinals are on the street and wrapping up a collection in Washington on Monday, it’s most likely extra seemingly that Nootbaar returns through the Playing cards’ five-game homestand previous to the All-Star break.

Nootbaar has hit .234/.337/.404 over 164 plate appearances this season, and is hopefully in for an prolonged stretch of fine well being after already making two journeys to the IL in 2024.  The outfielder suffered a rib damage throughout Spring Coaching that delayed his season debut till April 12, however in between his IL visits took on a beginning function within the nook outfield positions.

Tommy Edman may very effectively be taking Nootbaar’s spot in Springfield, as Edman is slated to start a minor league rehab project with the Double-A affiliate on Tuesday.  This may mark Edman’s first sport motion of any type in 2024, as Edman has been battling by a prolonged restoration course of since present process arthroscopic wrist surgical procedure final October.  Since Edman will want not less than just a few weeks of rehab video games contemplating his lengthy layoff, it’s potential he received’t be prepared for the large league roster by the July 30 deadline, however the Cardinals ought to have sufficient of a way of his standing by then to find out whether or not or not Edman’s return may maybe make another person on the roster expendable in a commerce.

Proper-hander Riley O’Brien threw to Edman throughout a stay batting apply session on Saturday, with O’Brien throwing 20 pitches in whole.  O’Brien hasn’t pitched since Opening Day because of a proper flexor pressure, and as MLB.com’s John Denton particulars, O’Brien began throwing in mid-June earlier than some extra forearm discomfort throughout a stay BP session led to consultations with Dr. Keith Meister.  Luckily, it seems as if O’Brien has been cleared of any extra critical arm points since he has returned to throwing, and a rehab project may probably be within the works if he continues to really feel pain-free.