Hochman: Thoughts on Cardinals’ trade deadline, from Shawn Armstrong skepticism to props for Fedde, Pham
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals' Tommy Pham grounds out in the seventh inning during a game between the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, Mo. Photo by Chris Lee, clee@post-dispatch.com
Chris Lee
1. It’s not just the ERA.
It’s easy to be skeptical when you see the 5.40 ERA of righty Shawn Armstrong, the Cardinals new reliever, acquired at the trade deadline for the woebegone Dylan Carlson. But it’s other stats that make it seem like this guy is an on-the-fly reclamation project, not a surefire arm for a playoff-contending bullpen.
After a brilliant 2023 (ERA of 1.39!), Armstrong has regressed in numerous key categories. His velocity is down. His walk rate went from 5.3% to 8.9%. His opponent expected batting average is .284, which is in the bottom fifth percentile of the league. His strikeout rate is still in the 57th percentile, which isn’t terrible, but last season it was 72nd percentile.
And lefty hitters have field days with this dude.
Of course, the Cardinals would not have acquired the guy if they didn’t think they could fix him. But how quick can this fix be? Every game is vital for this team in this playoff race.
2. It is just gobsmacking that it came to this with Carlson. He entered 2020 as one of the most highly regarded Cards prospects in a while. He finished third in the 2021 voting for National League Rookie of the Year award. And now in 2024, he’s an expendable trade piece that only gets you a reliever with a 5.40 ERA from Tampa Bay.
But ... he’s only 25. And he’s a traded Cardinals outfielder. So he’ll be an All-Star next year, won’t he?
3. Fun having Tommy Pham back. As for the other Las Vegas native on the White Sox traded to the Cardinals, Erick Fedde will start Friday for ºüÀêÊÓƵ at the Cubs. I’m optimistic about Fedde this season, as I broke down in this column Monday. I asked Pham about Fedde (7-4, 3.11 ERA), and here’s what the new ºüÀêÊÓƵ outfielder said:
“He was ballin’ for the White Sox. Sneaky, sneaky guy. He throws a ton of strikes, mixes up his pitches really well. He's that guy who just always seems to give you a quality start. And the consistency, if you bring that, you're a really good player. I was joking with him that I thought he was an All-Star. I voted for him. You know, just a lot of politics regarding the All-Star Game, but yeah, I thought he was an All-Star.â€
4. Pham is one of one. He’s a personality unlike any other in baseball. He’s intimidatingly intense, yet he also has quite a quick sense of humor. He’s unafraid. He yearns to win. He’s a great get as a right-handed bat to hit lefties. And he brings an edge to the clubhouse. He was a key guy on the 2023 Diamondbacks, who fearlessly fought through the postseason, all the way to the World Series.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas shared this sentiment from his locker this afternoon: “I was excited when I heard we're getting him. This is one of the guys I've played with that has an incredible desire to win. Tommy wants to win. And I think that's something that every team needs. I mean, he’s never going to give an at-bat away. He's never not going to run hard down the baseline. He's never not going to go all out for a ball. He's a gamer. He plays with the chip on his shoulder — I love it.
“And he's very observant. In my time here, he was not afraid to notice someone. Even a pitcher, he'd come and say, ‘Hey, Miles, you're falling way off (the) first base (side) today. Your stuff looked a little flat.’ I'm like, ‘(Shoot)!’ He sees it from center field. So he's not afraid to help people get better. I think that's another great quality that he has. I'm excited to see him get to work here.â€
And how about this move by Pham — in Game 2 of the World Series, he gave up an at-bat for a teammate. Pham was 4 for 4 and the Diamondbacks were up 7-1 in the ninth. But Pham wanted to make sure his teammate Jace Peterson got an at-bat in a World Series game. So Pham asked the Arizona manager to let Peterson hit. At the time, Pham didn’t know that he could’ve set a World Series record as the first player to go 5 for 5.
"This was a moment where it was a teammate loving a teammate to give him an opportunity," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said to reporters after that World Series game. "He took what mattered most to him personally ... and said it's more about the team and my teammate at this moment. That spoke volumes about what that clubhouse feels every single day."
At the buzzer, Cardinals send Dylan Carlson to Tampa Bay for reliever Shawn Armstrong
In the minutes before the trade deadline, the Cardinals finalized a deal sending outfielder Dylan Carlson to Tampa Bay for a veteran reliever, according to a source.
The deal, which was later announced by both clubs, makes it possible to activate newly acquired outfielder Tommy Pham for Tuesday's game.
In exchange for Carlson, the Cardinals acquired right-hander Shawn Armstrong, the team announced shortly after the 5 p.m. ºüÀêÊÓƵ time deadline for trades.
A free agent after this season, Armstrong is 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA through 38 games with the Rays. He struck out 50 in 46â…” innings. In his previous 107 innings pitched for the Rays before this season, he struck out 115 while carrying 2.52 ERA. His upside is missing bats. In 2023, he was in the 96th percentile for chase rates and 98th percentile for expected ERA because of the mix of strikeouts and soft contact.
This season those stats have experienced whiplash, dipping to 64th percentile and 5th percentile.
Of the 28 earned runs he's allowed this season, six came in one outing, during which he got only one out. Otherwise his ERA is 4.27 in the other 46 1/3 innings pitched.
Armstrong joins former teammate Andrew Kittredge in the Cardinals' bullpen.
A few years after Tampa Bay acquired future ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena in a trade centered around a reliever, Carlson will be with a Rays team that visits ºüÀêÊÓƵ during the next homestand. This is also the second time in the past year the Cardinals have sent an outfielder to the Rays for a reliever. The Rays acquired Richie Palacios before the season for Kittredge.Â
Carlson is under team control through 2026.
Ahead of adding Pham to the active roster, the Cardinals continued to talk with teams interested in the switch-hitting outfielder Carlson, as the Post-Dispatch previously reported they would. The former first-round pick's role with the team has been reduced with the rise of Michael Siani in center field and the arrival of Pham, who is set to get starts as the right-handed bat vs. lefties that Carlson has recently had.
The Washington Nationals, a club that has long had interest in Carlson and has not wavered from it, and the Los Angeles Angels are two of the clubs with which the Cardinals have engaged in talks about Carlson, according to sources. The list of teams with which the Cardinals discussed Carlson are not limited to those two.
At 25, Carlson has hit .198/.275/.240 this season for a .515 OPS. The start of his season was abruptly disrupted by a collision in center field that left him with a shoulder injury. He had just won the Cardinals' everyday and opening day center field job. By the time he returned and tried to play through soreness to contribute, others had moved ahead of him for playing time.
The 33rd overall pick in 2016, Carlson spent most of his career with the Cardinals as their top outfield prospect, if not their top position player prospect. In 2021, at age 21, he had a .780 OPS, hit 18 home runs and finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. The Cardinals declined trade overtures for him and made moves elsewhere in the coming years to clear playing time for him.
This past offseason, the Cardinals announced Tommy Edman would be their starting center fielder, which moved Carlson into a fourth outfielder role until Edman was not ready during or through spring training.
Fedde will join the team on Thursday at Wrigley Field and debut as the starter Friday.
The Cardinals have a series of transactions they'll have to make for their active roster, and they're adding one to the mix. Post-Dispatch baseball writer Lynn Worthy confirmed that the team plans to promote Michael McGreevy from Class AAA to start Wednesday's series finale against the Rangers. McGreevy, 24, is 5-7 with a 4.45 ERA for Triple-A Memphis.
The Cardinals' first-round pick and 18th overall selection in 2021 will be making his his major league debut with the start.Â
The Cardinals are also exploring whether there is a trade to be completed for Giovanny Gallegos that offsets some of the salary owed him for the remainder of the season. If they cannot complete one before Tuesday's 5 p.m. (ºüÀêÊÓƵ time) deadline, they'll likely release him and pay out the remainder of his $6 million salary and a $500,000 buyout for 2025.
This story will be updated as the trade market continues to move.
Lance Lynn, Max Scherzer square off as Cardinals face Rangers: First Pitch
The Cardinals continue a home series Tuesday against the Rangers. First pitch was set for 6:45 p.m., but the Cardinals announced a delay to start and an estimated start time of 7:15 p.m.
The Rangers will counter with right-hander Max Scherzer (2-3, 3.57), a ºüÀêÊÓƵ native.
Scherzer recently moved into the all-time top-10 for strikeouts. He has 3,400 to lead active pitchers.
With 110 more, he would pass Walter Johnson for ninth.
In seven starts at Busch Stadium, Scherzer is 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA. That's his best ERA at any stadium where he's started more than five games.
Scherzer made his 2024 debut just over a month ago after offseason back surgery.
The Cardinals are 54-52, tied for second in the NL Central and seven games out of first. ºüÀêÊÓƵ is 4-6 in its last 10.
The Rangers are 52-55, third in the AL West. They're 6-4 in their last 10.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Masyn Winn, SS
2. Alec Burleson, LF
3. Willson Contreras, C
4. Lars Nootbaar, RF
5. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
6. Matt Carpenter, DH
7. Brandon Crawford, 3B
8. Nolan Gorman, 2B
9. Michael Siani, CF
P: Lance Lynn, RHP
RANGERS
1. Josh Smith, DH
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Marcus Semien, 2B
4. Wyatt Langford, LF
5. Adolis GarcÃa, RF
6. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
7. Josh Jung, 3B
8. Jonah Heim, C
9. Leody Taveras, CF
P: Max Scherzer, RHP
Injury report
Riley O'Brien (flexor tendon): The right-hander is scheduled to throw an inning of relief for Memphis on Sunday and, barring any setbacks, will continue his rehab assignment on Wednesday. O’Brien’s workload on Wednesday could have him throw one-plus innings or be the first of back-to-back appearances, Marmol said. The Cardinals manager noted that, from a baseball decision point of view, he’d prefer O’Brien to throw in back-to-back outings to see how the right-hander responds to consecutive days of pitching in a game. Since beginning his rehab assignment on July 20, O’Brien has appeared in three games for Memphis and completed an inning apiece in each outing. Updated July 28
Steven Matz (lower back stiffness): Plans are for Matz, who simulated two innings of work in a bullpen session on Saturday, to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday, likely with Class AAA Memphis. The left-hander is scheduled to pitch two innings (or throw 40 pitches) in what would be his first game action since June 16, which was a rehab appearance with Class AA Springfield. Matz experienced discomfort in his back following the June 16 outing and had his rehab progress reset following a no-throw period. Updated July 28
Cardinals’ top pick JJ Wetherholt receives affiliate assignment, Chase Davis gets promotion
A number of moves within the Cardinals minor league system announced on Tuesday revealed where ºüÀêÊÓƵ’s top pick from this year’s draft will begin his professional career and what the next step is for its top pick from a summer ago.
Infielder JJ Wetherholt, the Cardinals’ first-round pick (seventh overall) in this year’s draft, was assigned to Class Low-A Palm Beach. Outfielder Chase Davis, a first-round selection (21st overall) by the Cardinals last year, was promoted from Class Low-A to Class High-A after he batted .232 with a .738 on-base plus slugging percentage in 74 Low-A games this year.
Wetherholt, a standout at West Virginia University who batted .370 with a .467 on-base percentage, and a .625 slugging percentage in 145 games for the Mountaineers, will play shortstop to start his career. Wetherholt played 29 games at shortstop during his collegiate career — 27 of which came this past season. He played 64 games at second base and 48 at third across three collegiate seasons.
Along with the 21-year-old Wetherholt, eight other Cardinals 2024 draftees were assigned to Palm Beach when the moves were announced Tuesday.
Catchers Ryan Campos (fourth round) and Josh Kross (sixth round), third baseman Cade McGee (ninth round), shortstops Jon Jon Gazdar (11th round) and Christian Martin (18th round), outfielders Bryce Madron (10th round) and Ian Petrutz (12th round), and right-hander Nolan Sparks (13th round) are set to join a Palm Beach club that secured a spot in the postseason by finishing first in the Florida State League East division standings in the first half of the MiLB season.
The promotion for Davis, 22, is the first of his minor league career. Since leaping college baseball to the pros just over a year ago, Davis has produced a .226/.345/.364 in 108 games. All eight of his home runs have come this season. Five of them came in June when he slashed .333/.464/.683 — an effort that earned his Cardinals minor league player of the month honors.
Since his breakout in June, Davis has gone 15-for-63 (.238) with one home run, 19 strikeouts, and a .310 on-base percentage in 16 games.
Gomez released
Moises Gomez, a 25-year-old outfielder who belted 72 home runs in the past three seasons and set a Cardinals single-season minor league record with 39 in 2022, was released on Tuesday.
Gomez appeared in 45 games with Class AAA Memphis this season and missed time with a wrist injury he sustained after colliding with a teammate on a play in the outfield. He batted .208 and slugged .299 with 55 strikeouts and hit three home runs in 162 plate appearances with Memphis.
Gomez’s 72 home runs since the start of the 2022 minor league season were the eighth-most in the minors in that timeframe and second-most behind Luken Baker’s 81 home runs. In that same stretch, Gomez struck out in 33.2% of his plate appearances.
Gomez’s standout 2022 season earned him Cardinals co-minor league player of the year honors and a 40-man roster spot to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He did not receive a call to the majors in 2023 and was removed from the 40-man roster this past offseason.
Baez added to development list
Outfielder Joshua Baez, a second-round pick from the 2021 draft, was moved from Class High-A Peoria to Class Low-A Palm Beach and added to the development list.Â
The development list allows a player to continue their development and to be with their assigned team without taking up an active roster spot. Assigning him to Palm Beach allows him to use the Cardinals’ facilities in Jupiter, Florida while he works towards returning to an active roster spot.
Through 71 games in High-A, Baez has batted .225 with a .388 slugging percentage. He’s struck out 97 times in 260 plate appearances for a 37.3% strikeout rate and hit a career-high 10 home runs. Baez has struck out in 35.4% of his plate appearances going back to last season.
First baseman William Sullivan, a 13th-round pick from last year’s draft, was also transferred from Peoria to Palm Beach and placed on the development list. Sullivan, 23, batted .169 in 148 at-bats for Peoria.
Ten Hochman: 2009 Class-A Cardinals reunion — Tommy Pham, Oliver Marmol, Lance Lynn, ‘Carp’
How Cardinals capitalized on 3-team deal to acquire 2 needs, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham
White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde works against the Cardinals on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Jeff Le, Associated Press
The Cardinals discovered early in their conversations with the Chicago White Sox that trading for one of the players they wanted, let alone two, would take drawing a third team into the talks.
They knew just the club and who it wanted.
Back as buyers after last year’s closeout sales, the Cardinals acquired right-hander Erick Fedde, a starter they coveted, and outfielder Tommy Pham from the Sox in a three-team deal Monday. To pull it off, they utilized the Los Angeles Dodgers’ interest in Tommy Edman and willingness to move prospects the Cardinals were not. The Cardinals became confident they could acquire Fedde over the weekend and were able to expand the deal to include Pham before it crystallized Monday morning into an intricate swap that could ultimately include 10 players.
“We went into our deadline approach where if we could find someone who could help our rotation, someone who could get a start in October should we make it (to the playoffs), was something we were very interested in, and also someone who would be around for next year,†said John Mozeliak, the club’s president of baseball operations. “Erick Fedde met that. The complication was how to get him. ... From the prospect standpoint, yeah, we weren’t lining up and weren’t seeing a direct fit with us and the Dodgers.â€
The White Sox forged the link.
The Dodgers provided the prospects.
The Cardinals got their targets.
They turned Edman, who has yet to play a game this season in the majors because of wrist surgery, and rookie-level pitcher Oliver Gonzalez into Fedde, Pham, cash to offset salaries and the potential for a player to be named from the Dodgers.
“I think the way the club showed it’s capable of playing is what we’re excited about,†Mozeliak said. “And as we push toward October, we wanted to add some pieces that we think will make us stronger.â€
Pham, a former Cardinal and no-nonsense right-handed hitter, planned to drive to ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Monday night and join the active roster Tuesday. Fedde, who is signed through 2025, will make his Cardinals debut later this week at Wrigley Field, and he’ll join the Cardinals active roster Thursday.
The Cardinals will have to make room on the 26-player roster for both players, prompting at least one trade that they’re still trying to make ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. (ºüÀêÊÓƵ time) deadline. The Cardinals continue to talk with teams interested in outfielder Dylan Carlson in order to trade the young switch-hitter ahead of adding Pham to the roster, according to sources. The Cardinals cleared a spot Sunday by designating Giovanny Gallegos for assignment, and they will either trade him by Tuesday or likely release him in the coming days.
The Cardinals intend to use the final 24 hours before the deadline to explore potential trades to augment the bullpen for the final two months of the season and deepen it for a potential playoff berth.
“When you look at what the target was going into the trade deadline — someone who could join that starting rotation was a big one,†manager Oliver Marmol said. “And then a right-handed bat was another. I think Mo and his group have done a really nice job of addressing those, not only from a skill set standpoint but from a mentality and overall competitive standpoint.â€
Pham and Fedde were players the Cardinals explored signing last winter.
Fedde focus
Fedde, 31, rejuvenated his career after several inconsistent seasons with Washington by going to play in Korea last season and pulling off a rare feat. He won the KBO’s best pitcher and MVP awards by leading Korea’s top league in the Triple Crown categories with 20 wins, a 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts. He became the fourth pitcher ever and first foreign-born player to sweep the pitcher’s Triple Crown. That drew interest from at least a dozen big league teams, including the Cardinals, and he signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox.
The sweeping slider and adjustment to his pitch mix that worked so well in the KBO was also effective on the South Side.
With a 7-4 record in 21 starts for the Sox, Fedde ranked among the American League leaders in ERA (3.11) and ground-ball rate (44.4%). Only Sonny Gray at 2.9 has a higher wins above replacement in the Cardinals rotation than Fedde’s 2.7, as calculated by FanGraphs. He’s gotten there by using a harder, faster slider than he did with the Nationals, ditching his curveball and getting more effective with his sinker.
“His mix plays,†Marmol said. “Going down the stretch here, adding someone like him who has been steady is important.â€
Fedde is signed for a cost-efficient $7.5 million for 2025, and at that season’s end, he’ll be eligible for a qualifying offer for the Cardinals to keep him or get a compensatory draft pick.
Pham focus
Pham, 36, originally was a Cardinal and played for them from 2014 to 2018 before they traded him to clear playing time for Harrison Bader. That outfielders-up, outfielders-out carousel continued to spin after he left, leading to the team bringing him back as the right-handed bat the Cardinals believe they lack against left-handed pitching.
The Cardinals’ Tommy Pham watches as a ball he hit goes for a three-run homer in the second inning of a game against the Cubs on Friday, May 4, 2018, at Busch Stadium.
Post-Dispatch photo
Pham hit .266 this season with a .710 OPS in 70 games for the Sox. Against lefties, he’s slugged .471 this season with an .848 OPS. A year ago, he finished the season hitting .429 for Arizona in the World Series after being acquired at the trade deadline and giving the Diamondbacks a .720 OPS in 50 games.
“I think he’ll be a jolt of energy for this club,†Mozeliak said.
Pham’s intensity has not waned since his years with the Cardinals, and neither has his bluntness. As one D-Back teammate said in October, he’s not the guy to “dance around the truth.â€
“We’re very familiar with Pham, and we didn’t just get a right-handed bat,†Marmol said. “We got a guy who lives and dies for winning baseball games. That is who he is, and him walking through those doors is going to be very meaningful.â€
Edman focus
In five seasons with the Cardinals, Edman won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as a second baseman and took a run at two others, including one in center field. Edman hit .265 with a .319 on-base percentage in 596 games for the Cardinals, but he had yet to appear this season because of offseason wrist surgery and a recent ankle injury. While recovering from surgery this winter, he signed a two-year, $16.5 million extension with the Cardinals through 2025.
During his rehab assignment at Class AA Springfield (Missouri), he drew interest from at least two teams. The Yankees had a scout present in Springfield over the weekend to evaluate Edman’s health. The Cardinals approached the Yankees about lefty and former All-Star Nestor Cortes, according to source, but it’s not clear how interested the Yankees were in dealing a starter or how they viewed Edman’s readiness to return.
Edman, 29, came to Busch Stadium on Monday to empty his locker, and he said he was ready to play second base for the first time Tuesday as he continued his rehab assignment with Class AAA Memphis in Durham, North Carolina. Instead, he’ll report to LA and work out his timetable for a big-league return with the Dodgers. They visit Busch on Aug. 16.
Mozeliak said the Dodgers asked the Sox if they could help facilitate a deal for Edman.
The Dodgers sent prospects Miguel Vargas, 2B/OF; Alexander Albertus, 3B; Jeral Perez, 2B; and a player to be named later to the White Sox. In addition to Edman and 17-year-old Gonzalez, the Dodgers got right-hander Michael Kopech for their big league staff. The Cardinals got cash from the White Sox and will either get cash or a player to be named from the Dodgers, pending Edman’s healthy return.
Given the high price initially being asked for Fedde and a seller-friendly market, the Cardinals landed two of their needs by moving one big league player in a cash-neutral deal.
So they’re still shopping.
“We’ll keep trying things and trawling and searching and maybe doing a little bit of hoping, too,†Mozeliak said. “We’ll still be actively calling and kicking things around.â€
Andre Pallante aims to make pitches in whatever role the Cardinals carve out for him
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante walks off the field looking at the scoreboard after giving up two runs and the lead in the fourth inning to the Texas Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
If Monday night marked Andre Pallante’s last appearance in the Cardinals’ starting rotation this season, he probably deserved a better outcome than the one he got.
Pallante, a right-hander, took the loss on a night when he gave up just three runs. While he wasn’t dominant, he also wasn’t cannon fodder. All seven hits he allowed were singles — three that didn’t leave the infield — and he wriggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation having allowed two runs instead of letting the game get out of reach.
Pallante scratched his way through five innings despite a meandering curveball and a sinker that veered wildly off course at times. Of course, Pallante's outing got lost once the Texas Rangers scored three runs in the seventh inning with the help of two fielding errors and a two-run home run.
The four-run advantage proved too much for the Cardinals to overcome in the final third of the game. The Cardinals fell 6-3 in the first game of their three-game set with the Rangers in front of an announced crowd of 34,281 at Busch Stadium.
The loss marked the fourth in the past five games for the Cardinals (54-52), and it put them in a tie with the Pittsburgh Pirates (54-52) for second place in the NL Central Division. Both teams sit seven games behind the Milwaukee Brewers (61-45).
“If you put yourself in Pallante’s shoes today, it’s really hard to do anything different,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He pitched his game. Throughout the course of that game, I think 8 out of 18 or 19 groundballs ended up hits — which is hard to do and hard to repeat.
"As far as pitching his game, he did what he normally does. He attacked with that fastball.â€
Pallante, who began this season in the bullpen for the Cardinals, entered this season having not made a start in the major leagues since July 2022. Early struggles this season led the Cardinals to send him back to the minors.
While with Triple-A Memphis, he stretched out as a starting pitcher and continued to refine his pitch arsenal to address his lack of consistent effectiveness against right-handed hitters.
During that time, it also became clear that the Cardinals starting pitching depth remained precarious at-best. Left-hander Steven Matz went down with a back injury at the beginning of May. He’s set to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday. The Cardinals shut down Matz's previous rehab assignment, in June, after three appearances due to lingering soreness.
Zack Thompson should have been the next in line, but he experienced inconsistencies and a drop in velocity. He went back to the minors in late April, and he has remained there. Matthew Liberatore, while capable of flashing intriguing performances in a starting role, has seemed better-suited for a relief role since the start of the season.
The club’s pitching prospects at the highest level of the minor leagues were deemed by the organization as not yet ready for major-league starting roles.
Pallante (4-5) returned from the minors and stepped into the starting rotation on May 29. Through his first several outings, Marmol remained hesitant to name Pallante the fifth starter. Pallante’s standing on the roster seemed almost perpetually temporary.
In 10 starts this season, Pallante has gone 4-4 with a 3.61 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, a .245 opponent’s batting average with 43 strikeouts and 18 walks in 52 1/3 innings.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Masyn Winn screams after hitting into a double play with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning in a game against the Texas Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
In his previous four starts leading into Monday, Pallante held opponents to a .193 batting average and posted an ERA of 2.19. He’d gone at least six innings in each of his last three starts prior to his matchup with the Rangers.
“Probably the most growth I’ve seen in a player this year, if we’re talking about mentality,†Marmol said. “How he uses his stuff is who he is. But when it comes to how he’s taking the mound — his overall mound presence, his determination, his focus, his preparation, you can go down the list — he has grown a ton.
"He’s pitching with a lot of confidence. There’s times when you’re in the big leagues and you question whether you’re a big leaguer or not. Then you kind of go over that threshold where you know you’re a big leaguer. I feel like he’s there where he knows he belongs here.â€
Now, Pallante’s place in the rotation has become a question mark again. The Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Erick Fedde from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team trade on Monday. Fedde, who has gone 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA this season, will join the club’s rotation later this week in Chicago for the series against the Chicago Cubs.
“We all hear it, it’s not like it’s a secret, but that’s part of what I’m working on — staying focused on (going) pitch by pitch,†Pallante said of handling the buzz and speculation surrounding the trade deadline. “All I can control is the pitches I execute. I’m just trying to stay focused on that.â€
Neither Marmol nor president of baseball operations John Mozeliak declared a plan going forward for the starting rotation, although Mozeliak acknowledged Pallante appeared a likely choice to move to the bullpen.
Mozeliak seemed to leave open the possibility that the addition of another starter might provide an opportunity to give rest to the rotation. It wasn’t clear if he may have been alluding to a six-man rotation or possibly being able to rest one of the club’s veteran starters.
“Obviously, our rotation has been very successful this year,†Mozeliak said. “But as you enter August, people get tired. Being able to have a fresh arm and someone that we can go to that was having the success Erick was having was something we desired.â€
Pallante didn’t give any indication that he’d been informed what role he’d fill going forward.
“We just have to see what they’re going to do,†Pallante said. “I make pitches. That’s what I do. Wherever that is, whatever role that is, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.â€
Cardinals pitcher Chris Roycroft fields what was a single by Texas' Jonah Heim in the seventh inning of a game on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium.Â
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Monday, Pallante retired the first five batters he faced against the Rangers, including three strikeouts. He even recorded a strikeout against Marcus Semien, despite throwing two pitches that hit backstop in the air during that at-bat.
The Rangers scored first with a two-out RBI single by Corey Seager in the third inning. That came after Josh Smith reached on a soft grounder between home plate and first base that went for an infield single. Smith then advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch.
“I didn’t really have my curveball working today,†Pallante said. “It wasn’t very good. I only executed one. That was the one that guy got a single back up the middle on. …
“I felt like my two-seam in the first inning I was throwing it up at the backstop. Those were the two fastballs that went way up there. It was just slipping out of my hand, a hot day like this. I’m not a guy that uses rosin. I never really have.â€
The Cardinals handed Pallante a one-run edge in the bottom of the third thanks to veteran slugger Matt Carpenter’s two-run home run off Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi (8-4).
In the fourth inning, Pallante allowed a leadoff single to Wyatt Langford, then got former Cardinals Adolis Garcia to fly out for the first out of the inning.
However, the Rangers swatted three consecutive hits. The third hit, a bases-loaded RBI single by Jonah Heim, tied the score. Then Leody Taveras’ grounder to first base drove in the go-ahead run and accounted for the second out. Pallante got another grounder to end the inning and strand two men on base in the frame.
Pallante allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He also struck out five. He stranded six men on base.
Cardinals rookie reliever Chris Roycroft allowed three runs (two earned) in the seventh inning. The Cardinals commited a pair of fielding errors, one by left fielder Alec Burleson and one by third baseman Nolan Arenado. Then Roycroft gave up a two-run home run to Nathaniel Lowe.
The Cardinals cut into the four-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh when Michael Siani hit a one-out bases-loaded RBI single to right field. However, Masyn Winn lined into an inning-ending double play, and the Cardinals didn’t put a man on base in the final two innings.
In today’s 10 a.m. “Ten Hochman†sports video — brought to you by  — Ben Hochman discusses the Cardinals-Rangers series. Also, a happy birthday shoutout to Belleville’s Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon! And as always, Hochman picks a random ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cards card!
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals pitcher Chris Roycroft reacts after Texas Rangers Nathaniel Lowe hit a 2RBI home run in the seventh inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals pitcher Chris Roycroft reacts after Texas Rangers Nathaniel Lowe hit a 2RBI home run in the seventh inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals pitcher Chris Roycroft sits in the dugout after Texas Rangers Nathaniel Lowe hit a 2RBI home run in the seventh inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Willson Contreras yells after being called out on strikes in the eighth inning of game against the Texas Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Cardinals pitcher Chris Roycroft fields what was a single by Texas' Jonah Heim in the seventh inning of a game on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium.Â
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
The Cardinals' Masyn Winn screams after hitting into a double play with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning in the club's 6-3 loss to Texas on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Â
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Texas Rangers pitcher Kirby Yates and catcher Jonah Heim celebrate their 6-3 victory over the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Nolan Arenado watches as Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras catches his pop fly for an out in the ninth inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Michael Siani runs to first base on a RBI single scoring Nolan Arenado off Texas Rangers pitcher David Robertson (37) in the seventh inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante looks at the scoreboard after giving up two runs and the lead in the fourth inning to the Texas Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante walks off the field looking at the scoreboard after giving up two runs and the lead in the fourth inning to the Texas Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Teammates congratulate ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Matt Carpenter as they celebrate his two-run home run off Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi during the third inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante can't field a single by Texas Rangers Josh Smith during the second inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Umpire Alex Mackay checks ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante gloves after the first inning against Texas Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
The Cardinals' Matt Carpenter points to the dugout in celebration of his two-run homer off Texas pitcher Nathan Eovaldi in the third inning of a game on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Â
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Nolan Arenado avoids being hit by a pitch thrown by Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi in the second inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt tosses his bat in frustration after striking out to end the Cardinals’ 6-3 loss to the Rangers on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals Nolan Arenado sits in the dugout after flying out to Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras in the ninth inning on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante goes to work against Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) during the first inning of a game on Monday, July 29, 2024, at Busch Stadium. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
Hochman: Erick Fedde bolsters the Cardinals' playoff rotation. Now go make the playoffs.
With the Rangers playing the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, it made many Monday think of a certain 2011 playoff matchup: Game 6.
But with Monday’s news, the postseason game that should be on minds? Game 2.
As in, the second game of the Cardinals’ first postseason series of 2024. Because they now have the game’s starting pitcher.
The importance of adding Erick Fedde isn’t just for getting the Cardinals to the postseason but for winning in the postseason. Traded Monday to ºüÀêÊÓƵ from the Chicago White Sox, Fedde arrives with a 3.11 ERA, 11th-best in the American League.
And since Fedde’s rough start on May 4 — sure enough, against the Cardinals at Busch — he has a 2.94 ERA. Right now, he’s the Cardinals’ second-best starter behind Sonny Gray.
No, Fedde isn’t a household name — at 31, he’s finally having a breakout season in the majors — but this is what the Cardinals need. This is what I wrote about on these pages last week. This is the replenishment. And it should light a fire under the other starters. Those guys came here to pitch in the playoffs and start big games. But there are only a certain number of postseason starts.
That leads us to the next part of this: The Cards need to get to the postseason first. Well, the three-team trade bringing outfielder Tommy Pham and Fedde to the Cardinals — and sending Tommy Edman to the Dodgers — improves ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Enhances ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
“We feel like getting a starting pitcher is going to help us,†Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said before Monday’s game. “Obviously, our rotation has been very successful this year, but as you enter August, (pitchers) get tired. And just being able to have a fresh arm, someone we could go to who’s having the success that Erick was having, is something that we desire. ...
“I loved everything (our starters) were doing. But we know there’s a lot of baseball left. And the other question is, like, how much depth do we have below that we felt could protect us? Yes, this can help us now, but it was also to give us protection in 2025.â€
This trade is reminiscent of the 2022 deadline deal Mozeliak made for Jordan Montgomery because Montgomery had another year left on his deal. And he pitched quite well for the 2023 Cards, who flipped him for some prospects.
And speaking of Mozeliak, he has been taking a lot of heat from booing fans and the media of late. But Monday’s trade was a sharp one.
As for Fedde, I think he’ll do well here because he’s a pitch-to-contact guy and gets a big share of ground balls — and the Cardinals, especially at shortstop and third base, have some stellar gloves. And Fedde has thrived this year by mixing in a sweeper — opponents hit just .167 against it — and it’s a pitch he can learn even more about from Gray and Kyle Gibson.
“He’s pitching with confidence, and his mix plays,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s shown that all year, and it’s going to help us. Going down the stretch here, adding someone like him, who has been steady, is important.â€
OK, so who gets dropped from the rotation, at least in the short-term? Andre Pallante isn’t paid to be a starting pitcher and has experience out of the bullpen, so as Mozeliak suggested on Monday, “the natural move might be putting Pallante back, but we’ll see.â€
But entering Monday, Pallante has had some of the best stats of the starters. That was before he allowed seven hits and three runs over five innings and was the loser in Texas’ 6-3 victory. So, say, if Lance Lynn suddenly has a couple of duds in a row, perhaps he’ll miss a start? Regardless of how Marmol figures out this problem, it’s a good problem to have. Also, safe to say we won’t have to see Matthew Liberatore wedged into any more starts this summer.
Acquiring Fedde (and Pham) also gives a boost to Cardinals players from a psychological standpoint. They know the front office believes in them enough to make this trade. Marmol speaks often about the team’s work ethic. Well, it was rewarded with reinforcements.
Now go make the playoffs.
Got to make the playoffs.
Can’t miss the playoffs.
Not for these fans.
Not after last year.
“I do believe this team can contend,†Mozeliak said. “Obviously the last week or so has been not as good as the last 2½ months — and we’ve already forgotten about April. So I think the way the club showed it’s capable of playing, we’re excited. And as we push to October, we wanted to add some pieces that would make us stronger.
“... So I think for us to continue to be successful, obviously we need strong starting pitching. We need to continue to play strong defense. And from an offensive standpoint, I feel like we are trending in the right direction. So hopefully we’re timing this right, and we can take advantage of the situation we’re in — and make the most out of these next two months.â€
BenFred: Tipping a cap to trade-deadline gem Giovanny Gallegos. Can Cardinals find someone like him?
Cardinals pitcher Giovanny Gallegos signs autographs for fans before a game against the Phillies on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at Busch Stadium.
Robert Cohen, Post-Dispatch
It was supposed to be The Chasen Shreve Trade, remember?
Back in 2018, the Cardinals were hungry for relief help at the trade deadline.
Sound familiar?
The universal designated hitter didn’t exist yet, and slugging first baseman Luke Voit had no clear lane to major league playing time in his hometown.
The Cardinals flipped Voit to the Yankees for veteran southpaw reliever Shreve, and had that been the entirety of the deal, Voit, who slugged .520 for the Yankees through four seasons and led all of baseball in home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, would be a lot higher on that list of regrettable players the Cardinals dealt away.
Giovanny Gallegos became the difference.
Tacked to the deal as an overlooked add-on, the right-handed Yankees reliever had 20 major league games of experience beneath his belt and a 4.75 ERA attached to his name. He barely was mentioned in the discussion of the deal back then. He barely will be mentioned in this season’s trade-deadline churn that will end his time with the team. But what a difference he made in between. Way more than Shreve. Way more than most.
From his first pitch for the Cardinals on Sept. 23, 2018, to his likely last pitch for the Cardinals last Saturday, Gallegos was called upon 291 times, more often than all but 23 other major-league relievers across baseball during that span.
Only seven relievers who pitched more than 300 innings during Gallegos’ Cardinals career crafted an ERA lower than Gallegos’ 3.36 in 305⅓ innings, and only one — the Giants’ Tyler Rogers — did so while pitching for just one team. Between 2019 and 2022, Gallegos held the National League’s lowest ERA (2.84) among relievers with 200 or more appearances. Eight of the 10 times the Cardinals called upon him in a postseason game, he didn’t allow an earned run.
I realize most of today’s current focus is going to be on players who just became Cardinals — or players who just became Cardinals again. As it should be.
Erick Fedde could be a sneaky strong addition. Like Miles Mikolas, he salvaged a stalled major league career overseas and has been strong upon his return. He’s got an affordable year of contract control left after this one and should be boosted by joining a team that, unlike the White Sox, actually has something to play for when it shows up to the ballpark.
Tommy Pham should be an energy booster and a lineup improver against left-handed pitching. The Cardinals are the second-worst team in the NL this season at producing on-base plus slugging percentage against southpaws. Pham always has hit lefties, and he’s still doing it. His .848 OPS against them this season is higher than all current Cardinals regulars not named Willson Contreras. Pham also will be a clubhouse and dugout plus. Those who convinced themselves he was bad for morale last time around were listening to people who did not know Pham.
Trading Tommy Edman for both of these additions is a smart move. That’s not a knock on Edman’s value. If the Dodgers want you, you’re a good player. But the Cardinals have a bulk supply of versatile middle-infield types. Masyn Winn has emerged at shortstop. Michael Siani might be the best center field glove in baseball right now. And Edman was out of the mix this season because of his recovery from wrist and ankle injuries. Edman once seemed untouchable. Things changed as Brendan Donovan emerged, then Thomas Saggese, then new draft pick JJ Wetherholt.
Edman will get many cheers and toasts on his way out. Well deserved. But let’s not forget to tip a cap to Gallegos, who on Sunday was designated for assignment.
Veteran relievers who get used until they are seemingly used up don’t get many cheers and toasts. So goes the road for them when their tread looks used up on their current team. It’s not personal. It’s business, and the business of baseball is especially hard on hardworking relievers as they age.
Few are willing to work as hard as Gallegos did for the Cardinals, and he did so while never making more than this season’s $5.75 million. Pretty good value, no?
Maybe he’s done. His decline began rapidly last season, and his body began to betray him. He departed in a hard-to-watch mop-up role.
Maybe he will rebound elsewhere, and there were some encouraging signs that he could after his mostly encouraging return since late June.
Maybe the Cardinals will be able to make a bullpen addition to help follow up Monday’s moves, and if they come anywhere close to the underrated win they got in Gallegos six deadlines ago, they will have had one of their best deadline flurries in recent memory.
That’s the best tribute one can give to Gallegos: hoping this team can find someone who offers close to what he did when he was at his best.
He should be remembered fondly for not just his work but the unflinching willingness with which he did it.
It’s rare. It’s special. It will be missed if not replaced.
Tommy Edman reflects on time in ºüÀêÊÓƵ after an ‘abrupt ending’: Cardinals Extra
Tommy Edman is doused by teammate Nolan Gorman while being interviewed after hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over San Diego on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, at Busch Stadium.
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch
Although he is on the injured list and has not played in a major league game this year, getting dealt was something Tommy Edman knew was a possibility.
The utilityman and former Gold Glove Award winner considered what he saw in 2022, when teammate Harrison Bader was traded to the New York Yankees ahead of that summer’s trade deadline despite being on the IL.
That possibility became a reality for Edman on Monday when he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers as a part of a three-team deal that brought Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham to ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
“It’s been a very abrupt ending, which is strange after having been here for eight years,†said Edman, who stood in front of his emptied locker in the Cardinals clubhouse at Busch Stadium. “But I understand it’s a business. I understand that you’ve got to win ballgames, and currently, as I am right now, I’m on the injured list. I’m not helping the team win games.
“From that aspect, I mean, I certainly don’t take anything personally at all. Everybody’s treated me incredibly well here. But yeah, it is a little weird getting traded while on the injured list. But you know, it’s happened before, so I’m not necessarily surprised by it.â€
A sixth-round draft pick by the Cardinals in 2016, Edman made his MLB debut with the big club in 2019 and quickly became one of the team’s more consistent contributors. Edman batted .265 with a .727 OPS in 596 games, won a Gold Glove as a second baseman in 2021 and appeared at six different defensive positions.
After showing in 2023 that his defensive skills could translate to being a full-time center fielder, Edman positioned himself to begin the 2024 season as the Cardinals’ starting center fielder. But offseason surgery on his right wrist kept him sidelined for all of spring training and into the regular season.
Once he ramped up his hitting progression, an ankle injury he sustained while turning double plays in late June paused his progression and delayed his start for a rehab assignment until early July.
He appeared in eight rehab games as a designated hitter for Class AA Springfield (Missouri) and neared his first appearance in the field. But with the Cardinals looking to add a starter and a right-handed-hitting outfielder, Edman was moved and will join the Dodgers, who play Tuesday and Wednesday in San Diego.
“It’ll be a transition, for sure,†Edman said. “It’s going to be a lot different. Meeting a whole new group of people will be a little bit overwhelming, I’m sure at first, but I’ve heard a lot of great things about the guys over there. I’m excited to get to know them all.â€
Looking back at this time with the Cardinals, Edman pointed to some of his walk-off hits and the multiple playoff appearances as the moments that stick with him.
Edman appeared in 15 postseason games as the Cardinals reached the playoffs in each season from 2019 to 2022. As a rookie in 2019, Edman played in all five games during the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves and went 6 for 19 (.316).
When he makes his return to the field, Edman said he wasn’t sure at what position he will play, considering the Dodgers have searched for a solution at center field and at shortstop with Mookie Betts on the IL.
Or who it might come against, considering the Dodgers will travel to ºüÀêÊÓƵ for a three-game series beginning on Aug. 16.
“It’ll be crazy if that lines up like that — the first game with the Dodgers (being) here, but we’ll see what happens with that. I’m not sure what’s going to happen yet,†Edman said.
Hjerpe, Roby injury updates
Cardinals prospect Cooper Hjerpe will go the next two weeks without throwing before beginning a progression program, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on Monday. Hjerpe, the Cardinals’ first-round draft pick in 2022, has been on the IL because of an elbow injury that forced him to exit a start on July 2 with Class AA Springfield after completing two innings.
Mozeliak described the imaging done on the 23-year-old’s left elbow as “encouraging.â€
Right-handed pitching prospect Tekoah Roby, acquired by the Cardinals at last year’s trade deadline, is expected to accelerate his throwing program. Roby, 22, has been on the IL because of a shoulder injury since the middle of May. He logged 33⅓ innings with Springfield before being sidelined.
Extra bases
Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) completed two-thirds of an inning and allowed one run and one hit in a rehab appearance for Class AAA Memphis on Sunday.
Former Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner was optioned from the Rangers’ active roster ahead of Monday’s series opener in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. That cleared a spot for another former Cardinals catcher, Carson Kelly, whom the Rangers acquired from Detroit.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ-area native and Mizzou product Max Scherzer is listed as the Rangers’ probable starter for Tuesday’s game.
