Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
A new report claims the St. Louis Cardinals were viewed as the expected landing spot for a former All-Star pitcher who ended up on the trade block days before last month’s trade deadline.
Entering the MLB games today, the Cards are in a battle to land the final spot in the National League Wild Card standings. The team is four games out and has a decent chance to land one of the three coveted spots after a pair of notable additions last month.
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In a massive three-team deal, St. Louis was able to address their right-handed hitting issues and bolster their starting rotation. The trade saw them acquire veteran outfielder Tommy Pham and starter Erik Fedde from the White Sox. In return, they sent out prospect Oliver Gonzalez and utility man Tommy Edman.
However, it seems the St. Louis Cardinals were on the verge of shipping off Edman for a one-time All-Star from the New York Yankees. This week, USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale claimed the Yankees were close to moving Nestor Cortes if they had acquired Jack Flaherty. And that St. Louis was the rumored landing spot in a deal.
The Yankees ended up passing on a trade for Flaherty due to concerns they had when looking at his recent medical exams. The veteran pitcher has dealt with back issues during the 2024 season but it hasn’t seemed to hamper his performance. Cortes has become expendable after a pair of down seasons after earning All-Star honors in 2022.
Fedde was rocked for five runs in five innings during a debut loss for the team on Friday.
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