St. Louis Cardinals trade rumors: Pitching needs not fully determined

There is no question that the St. Louis Cardinals are looking to add pitching. The question is how deep that quest will go.

That depends on who one asks. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are looking for depth pieces at the edges of their pitching staff. Meanwhile, Robert Murray from FanSided says that the Cardinals are looking for one or two starters, both of which would make a relatively larger impact when compared to the J.A. Happ/Jon Lester duo from last year.

St. Louis Cardinals hunting for pitching help

The Cardinals’ need for pitching help is clear. Steven Matz, Dakota Hudson, and Jack Flaherty are all on the Injured List. Even if that trio were healthy, the Cardinals were still going to need help in the rotation as Hudson has been mediocre at best this season.

The Cardinals’ bullpen could use another piece or two as well. T.J. McFarland has continued to see the mound because he is a left handed pitching option. Bringing a second reliable left handed reliever could make a major difference to their playoff hopes.

As it is, the Cardinals have been consistently linked to the two top pitchers on the trade market. Both Frankie Montas and Luis Castillo have figured prominently into any speculation about their plans for the deadline, despite the Cardinals’ general refusal to trade their top prospects. That could make landing either of those arms much more difficult.

That could determine whether or not the Cardinals tinker around the edges or go after a much larger prize for their pitching staff. It is clear that they need to do something in order to keep pace in the National League playoff push, but what that something is remains a matter of conjecture.

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to improve their pitching. How much they are looking to improve their pitching is a matter of debate.