The Major League Baseball trade deadline is officially heating up on Monday afternoon.
With just over 24 hours to go before the market is closed, a flurry of moves is underway across the league. And the St. Louis Cardinals became the latest team to land one of the biggest fish in the trade pool.
The Cardinals, in the heat of the National League Wild Card picture, were in serious need of starting pitching help. Now, in a three-team blockbuster deal, it appears they have their man.
In a deal reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cardinals are set to acquire starting pitcher Erick Fedde from the Chicago White Sox. The Cardinals are sending utility player Tommy Edman to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers are also acquiring righty reliever Michael Kopech from the White Sox in the deal, while sending utility player Miguel Vargas and a group of three prospects to Chicago.
Fedde, 31, has been one of the surprise pitchers of the MLB season thus far. He owns a 7-4 record with a 3.11 ERA in 22 starts, and his 4.6 wins above replacement rank second among all starters behind the Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal.
After washing out of MLB and pitching in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2023, Fedde appears rejuvenated. He’s added a devastating sweeper that has made the rest of his arsenal much more effective, setting career-bests in WHIP and opponent batting average.
Edman, 29, has yet to play in the majors this season, working his way back from right wrist surgery. He’s had an up-and-down career, with his most productive season coming in 2022, when he racked up 6.2 WAR while playing five different positions.
Though Edman can be a productive player when healthy, it wasn’t certain how he would factor into the Cardinals’ plans for the rest of this season. Landing Fedde addresses an urgent need, and makes St. Louis a more viable contender in a hotly contested NL pennant race.
Fedde is also under contract for 2025, when he is set to make $ 7.5 million. Now, the Cardinals hope he can continue his breakout season in the thick of a playoff race.
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