Trade Deadline Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Needs to be addressed

1. Power

As I said in the opening, the Cardinals are one of the worst teams at hitting home runs. The problem with making a move with the lineup is that everyone has a defined role on this team. If you look for a corner outfielder you would have to move either Matt Adams or Allen Craig in the deal, and you would be slowing the call up process of Oscar Taveras. If you look for an infielder with pop you would be bumping Matt Carpenter or (when healthy) Kolten Wong. And you certainly couldn’t do it at catcher, so this one could take some serious maneuvering.

2. Starting Pitching

With starters dropping like flies in St. Louis the Cardinals could look for a big Band-Aid to place just below Adam Wainwright. If Wacha’s shoulder injury is more troubling than the Cardinals think, they should be looking for that all important co-ace to match Wainwright at the top of the rotation. With almost every team still in the hunt for a wild card spot the market for top flight starters could be pretty shallow, but the Cardinals would be in position to make the big move.

3. Bench production

The Cardinal bench looked to be a strength coming into the season. Peter Bourjos and Jon Jay were supposed to form a platoon based on defense, but Jay has hit his way into the everyday lineup while Bourjos has been exiled to pinch running and defensive replacement duty. The Cardinals are yet to have a pinch hitter hit a home run, and have just six RBIs from pinch hitters.