3 Most Likely Cardinals Trade Targets at the Deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals have met expectations and more during the 2022 MLB season. The Redbirds are poised for a playoff appearance as they sit 38-30 through 68 games, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead.

Although things have gone well for them thus far, the Cardinals still have room for improvement. With this year's trade deadline approaching, it wouldn't be surprising if general manager Mike Girsch is busy working the phones, hoping to land a deal to improve his club's World Series odds.

The MLB trade deadline is August 2, and these three players are the most likely to be targeted by the Cardinals before the first week in August.

Cardinals Trade Rumors

1. José Iglesias, SS — Colorado Rockies

All signs point to the Colorado Rockies probably missing the playoffs, opening up the door for the club to trade away veteran José Iglesias. Even though he's yet to homer this season, the 32-year-old should be attractive to suitors with his .299 batting average and 17 RBIs in 54 games (197 at-bats) thus far. The truth is that shortstop has been a big weakness for the Cardinals, proven by Paul DeJong getting sent to the minors and Edmundo Sosa's struggles at the plate. Acquiring Iglesias could solve that issue, plus he likely wouldn't break the bank on account of him being a free agent at the end of the year.

2. José Quintana, SP — Pittsburgh Pirates

Injuries to starting pitchers Steven Matz and Jordan Hicks have made things more difficult than they need to be for St. Louis. Even when they've been healthy, both players own a 5.00-plus ERA, leaving the Cardinals looking for some rotational help. Given that the Cardinals don't have many left-handed starters, Pittsburgh Pirates ace José Quintana seems like a great target. Despite how bad the Pirates have been, Quintana owns a 3.66 ERA and 1.328 WHIP in 13 starts. The former All-Star would give St. Louis a healthy southpaw that they can trust, which is what they need after Matz's struggles. He's also a free agent, making him perfect if the Cardinals are only in the market for a rental.

3. Luis Castillo, SP — Cincinnati Reds

Just like Quintana, Luis Castillo is another strong pitcher on a bad team. The Cincinnati Reds starter has been involved in trade rumors throughout the year, making him a name that the Cardinals should be in on. The 29-year-old is 2-4 in eight starts this season, pitching to a 3.33 ERA and 1.087 WHIP — both improvements over his career average of 3.69 and 1.212, respectively. The fact that he's arbitration-eligible in 2023 means the Cardinals would have to pay a higher price than they would for a rental, but it'd be more than worth it judging by what Castillo brings to the table. Nevertheless, he's a pitcher that could significantly help the Cardinals in the NL Central race.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. 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.