Getty

ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 15: Bill DeWitt Jr., managing partner and chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals addressing a change in the manager during a press conference prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium on July 15, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to win ballgames and defy the odds amid their rebuilding season. The team was expected to go south after making several trades over the winter to tear down their roster, but they haven’t been negatively affected by them.

The Cardinals have some tough decisions to make at the trade deadline as far as which direction they decide to go. They still are focused on the long-term goals, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do a little bit of adding in some spots.

Jeff Passan of ESPN listed Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize as a top trade chip and had the Cardinals as a team that could potentially target him. Passan also gave Mize a 60 percent chance of being moved.

“This is high for a pitcher who twice has landed on the injured list with the same soft-tissue injury (strained groin),” Passan wrote. “It also reflects what Mize did in his previous nine starts: post a 2.27 ERA with peripherals to back it up. Mize isn’t popping any models with his stuff, and his minuscule home run rate is destined to regress, but he strikes guys out and his contract will be barely $2 million for the remainder of the season.”

“Something worth considering: Mize is a qualifying offer candidate, and the Tigers would be in line to receive a draft pick after the first round if he signs for more than $50 million. The package Detroit would demand in return would then be costlier than a typical rental.”

How Casey Mize Fits with Cardinals

Mize is currently on the injured list with a groin issue, as Passan noted. However, the 29-year-old has pitched well when healthy. He is 2-3 with a 2.27 ERA in nine starts with Detroit this year.

He would purely be a rental, but the Tigers are selling and the Cardinals could use some help with their starting rotation. They rank 10th in the National League in strikeouts, so a little bit more swing-and-miss would make a lot of sense for Chaim Bloom. Mize is averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings this season.

Mize is a former first round pick and still has a lot of potential. Perhaps a change of scenery will allow him to reach that potential. He is somebody that can easily plug a hole in the Cardinals starting rotation if they hope to make a run towards the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

As long as he can get healthy, he could be a solid pickup for St. Louis.

How Realistic is it?

Mize would likely benefit the Cardinals, but given his contract status, it’s probably unlikely to happen. Bloom wants to prioritize the long-term goals, and with Passan’s note that Mize will be more expensive than a typical rental, that means the Cardinals would likely have to give up some good prospects, and they aren’t exactly in a position to do that.

If the Cardinals are going for a rental, they’ll likely look at cheaper options. If they buy, the best place to focus would be grabbing a controllable starter rather than a rental. They could add that simply by selling at the deadline too and focus on the future.