3 Players the Cardinals Should Trade for at the Deadline for a World Series Run

The St. Louis Cardinals have found success so far during the 2021 MLB season as they sit atop the NL Central division with a record of 26-22. That makes them a very likely candidate to be buyers instead of sellers at the MLB trade deadline coming up at the end of July.

Adding a few key players to the team could make St. Louis fully prepared for a possible World Series run. With that in mind, here are three players the Cardinals should trade for.

St. Louis Cardinals Trade Targets

1. Mitch Haniger, OF

One spot that lacks any depth on the Cardinals' roster is in the outfield. Both Tyler O'Neill and Harrison Bader are on the injured list and St. Louis could easily target someone to fill in the gap at the deadline. Seattle Mariner Mitch Haniger sticks out in this scenario given his solid production at the plate. The 30-year-old is hitting .257/.315/.546 on the season with 13 home runs, 34 runs scored and 32 RBIs. The Mariners are struggling to win ball games and could opt to trade Haniger while he is still valuable. He would fit in well with the Cardinals.

2. David Peralta, OF

Another outfielder that could be a target for the Cardinals is David Peralta of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old is currently playing on a rather affordable 3-year, $22 million deal that keeps him under contract through the 2022 season. Plus, Peralta could give St. Louis something they are desperately in need of in a left-handed bat. He is hitting .273/.332/.459 on the season with four home runs and 28 RBI. Peralta's mix of power and ability to get on base would definitely come in handy during the playoffs. Trading for him would be a smart move by the Cardinals.

3. Richard Rodriguez, Relief Pitcher

Every team knows how important the bullpen becomes during the playoffs and the Cardinals need to improve that area of the team at the deadline. The team's bullpen has posted a 4.23 ERA so far this season, which ranks as the 13th-worst mark in the MLB. One player they should target is Pittsburgh Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez. Rodriguez' dominance this season has been overshadowed by him playing for a losing team. He has a spotless 3-0 record on the year and an ERA of 0.45 through 20.0 innings pitched. In fact, he has only given up just 7 hits and 1 walk all year.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.