Atlanta Braves Trade Partner: St. Louis Cardinals
It's not often the St. Louis Cardinals are sellers at a trade deadline, but they will be this year and they possess several good options for the Atlanta Braves.
The Cardinals find themselves 11 games back in the NL Central and 10 games back of the final Wild Card spot, so they will certainly be looking to sell off assets and trying to turn things around quickly at this year's trade deadline.
One name that has gotten a lot of mention among Braves fans as a possible fit is Jordan Hicks.
The flamethrower that averages 100.5 MPH on his fastball and is set to be a free agent after the season. His 31.2% strikeout rate and 3.14 xERA seem like a good fit. Working off his big heater, the sweeper has a whiff-rate near 60 percent. He has the dominant stuff to work as a really effective setup man or even closer in the postseason.
If available, he'll be a very attractive rental at the deadline. However, it sounds like the Cardinals are trying to work out an extension for Hicks. If they can't before the deadline, he will be dealt. Many teams will be in on him, which might drive up the price. Giving up a solid back-end starter with years of control like Jared Shuster or Dylan Dodd seems steep, but might get it done.
Another Jordan -- Jordan Montgomery -- could make sense as well for the rotation. He is also a rental making $10 million this year. A sinkerballer with a good change-up and curveball, he's had an ERA under 4 the past three seasons and consistently works into the sixth inning. Price is probably similar to Hicks, maybe even a little less because the team acquiring Montgomery would be taking on a solid bit of money.
If the Braves wanted to upgrade their infield bench depth, Paul DeJong shouldn't be expensive. He has a .720 OPS and 13 home runs this year.
Jack Flaherty is a free agent after the season but is having a rough year after being injured for a while. Maybe the Braves can help him find the magic that made him one of the best pitchers in baseball not too long ago.
Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbar, and Brendan Donovan all would be great fits as well depending on their availability (would imagine it's low) and price.
The Cardinals have a good roster of players, which is why many expected them to win the NL Central this year.
Now that they're out, they have the ability to be one of the most active teams at this year's deadline.
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