Baseball’s most recent breaking story is a tale of woe for the St. Louis Cardinals. The team released a statement this afternoon confirming that their ace, Adam Wainwright, will miss the remainder of the season with a torn achilles in his left ankle.
This kind of injury is devastating to any team’s playoff chances, even a team like the Cardinals, who are notorious for finding solutions from within their organization. This injury, however, is different. Despite a deep rotation and a well-stocked farm system, it is unlikely the Cardinals will be able to contend this season without addressing this pressing issue from the outside.
Where exactly does that leave the Cardinals? It leaves them in a situation which forces them to seek any and all alternatives for their rotation. The option that makes the most sense, and which would also position them best, is trading for Philadelphia Phillies starter Cole Hamels.
There has been no shortage of coverage on a potential Cole Hamels trade over the past 12 months, wearing out fans, media, and players alike. Much of this is probably due to Ruben Amaro Jr.’s stubbornness when it comes to trading away aging stars, but it might also stem from a lack of quality offers. With the Cardinals now in the market for a top notch starting pitcher, in addition to the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, offers for the 31-year-old lefty will surely improve, and increase in volume, soon.
All three of the aforementioned teams have loaded farm systems, meaning there could very well be a ‘bidding war’ of sorts for Hamels’ service. While there are bound to be other teams who have significant interest in acquiring the Phillies’ ace, the Cardinals, Red Sox, and Dodgers seem to be the teams with the biggest need and the best pieces to offer.
But what might the Cardinals, in particular, be able to offer that could lure the Phillies into trading Hamels? The offer would have to be substantial. Fortunately for the Cardinals, they have loads of talented pitchers and outfielders, which just happen to be two of the Phillies’ greatest needs. Whether a trade centered around left-handed pitcher, such as Marco Gonzales, a right-handed pitcher, like Alex Reyes, or an outfielder in the mold of Stephen Piscotty, the Cardinals will likely need to cough up 3 of their best prospects, and perhaps a MLB-ready player such as Randal Grichuk, to bring Hamels to St. Louis.
As the season wears on, other potential trade targets are likely to emerge. But with a growing trade market for Cole Hamels, the Cardinals should act quickly if they want to acquire the coveted ace. In an increasingly talented National League Central division, bringing in a new ace sooner rather than later would be wise.
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