The Cardinals have reportedly shown interest in acquiring White Sox RHP Erick Fedde at the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
Cardinals Show Interest In White Sox Starter At Trade Deadline
Who Is Fedde?
Fedde, who is in his first season back in the MLB after spending 2023 playing in Korea, is 7-3 with a 2.99 ERA through 19 starts this season. He’s picked up innings for a struggling White Sox team in 2024. With rumors of trades involving ace Garrett Crochet, it has become obvious that the White Sox are among the few teams looking to sell at this trade deadline. Fedde comes with team control until the end of the 2025 season when he will become an Unrestricted Free Agent.
Why Are The Cardinals Interested?
The Cardinals, meanwhile, have shown interest in a variety of available starters—rumors linking them to both Zach Eflin and Nathan Eovaldi recently emerging. With the recent struggles of their ace, Sonny Gray, and the unreliability of the lower end of their rotation this season, it appears as though the Cardinals will be aggressively pursuing a second option for their rotation. Barring any injuries, this would likely move Andre Pallante back to the bullpen and provide insurance against Steven Matz’s delayed return.
Fedde has shown remarkable consistency this season. He’s allowed more than 4 ER in only one start and has five starts with five or more shutout innings. His cutter has plus action. According to Baseball Savant, Fedde ranks in the 97th percentile of fastball run value in 2024. Although Cardinals starters Miles Mikolas and Kyle Gibson have both shown positive signs in their first starts after the All-Star Break, stability will be a much-needed factor for the Cardinals rotation down the stretch.
Fedde will likely be one of the less expensive acquisitions at this year’s trade deadline. He was given the low-supply and high-demand nature of this year’s market for starting pitching. According to Bleacher Report’s updated Farm System Power Rankings, the Cardinals have the 18th-best prospect pool in the league. However, they only have two prospects within MLB’s top 100. RHP Tink Hence and LHP Quinn Mathews, both of whom are at Double-A. Whether the Cardinals will be willing to move any players on the 40-man roster remains to be seen. A logjam in the outfield looms with Tommy Edman’s return in the undefined future.
Main Photo Credits: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
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