The St. Louis Cardinals are in a tough position. After missing the postseason and finishing 83-79 during the regular season, the team looks prepared to enter a rebuild.
Players on high-value contracts are likely to be traded. This includes Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado.
There are several teams who need a bat that could also give St. Louis some young, cost-controlled pitching. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed the idea of the Seattle Mariners trading right-hander Bryce Miller in exchange for a bat.
Perhaps St. Louis could acquire him in exchange for one of their two bats.
“According to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, the team is ‘open to anything’ with trade scenarios. If that includes choosing Miller as the arm to be sacrificed for a bat, then so be it,” Rymer wrote. “As a 26-year-old with club control through 2029, he’s a rarely valuable piece in the abstract.”
The Cardinals have been short on pitching at the minor league level since making the trade that sent Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara to the Miami Marlins.
Having an extra controllable arm or two as they prepare to prioritize their young core wouldn’t hurt. Miller went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 31 starts, pitching 180 1/3 innings and striking out 171 batters.
He could profile as a middle-of-the-rotation arm for St. Louis as they try to rebuild their pitching and get younger. This season, he proved he’s capable of eating innings and generating swings and misses, which is something St. Louis will need.
Receiving Major League ready talent could also help the Cardinals expedite their rebuilding process and bounce back into contention as soon as possible, perhaps by 2026.
It will be interesting to see how St. Louis approaches the offseason and who they’ll ultimately offload as part of their rebuild.
