The St. Louis Cardinals are a potential suitor for Tampa Bay Rays Taj Bradley at the upcoming Trade Deadline. A report by ESPN Insider Jeff Passan linked the 24-year-old right-handed starting pitcher to the Cardinals. If the Rays are looking to move Bradley, he would make sense for the Cardinals, both in the short- and long-term, for their roster construction.
Cardinals Potential Deadline Suitor for Rays Starting Pitcher
Bradley Makes Sense for the Cardinals
The Cardinals starting rotation has been a weakness for the past two months. Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde have struggled to keep their team in games. Since June, the Cardinals are 5-9 in games started by Mikolas and Fedde and 12-10 in games started by all other pitchers.
“For all of the Cardinals’ improvement this season, they remain a flawed team,” Passan wrote. “And yet there’s also a world in which [John] Mozeliak can make this year’s team better and simultaneously set up his successor, Chaim Bloom, with a rotation option for the future.
Bradley won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2027. With years of club control left on his contract, he would make sense as an addition for the Cardinals, who are in the Postseason hunt this year, but also still focused on developing youth for the future.
The Cardinals have several top prospects that could be ready for the big leagues soon. However, their two biggest minor league arms, Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence, are battling injury issues this season. Michael McGreevy could soon be a regular in the rotation as he has flirted with the starting lineup through the end of last season and this season. However, with Mikolas, Fedde, and Steven Matz all on expiring deals this season, there will be plenty of opportunity for starters next year.
Why the Rays May Move Bradley
Bradley was the Rays top prospect as recently as 2023. However, this year, he is at the back end of their rotation when it comes to production. The right-hander is 5-6 with a 4.60 ERA. He is behind Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littel, Drew Rassmusen, and Shane Baz in production this year.
Additionally, Shane McClanahan has recently started a rehab assignment. McClanahan missed all of 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John’s Surgery. He had a setback in Spring Training with a nerve issue and hasn’t pitched in the Big Leagues yet in 2025. While the Rays aren’t likely to rush him back, they are hopeful he will return this season.
The Cardinals can provide the Rays with catcher depth in their organization. Neither of the Rays current two catchers, Danny Jansen and Matt Thais, are performing well at the plate. The Rays also only have one catcher in the top 20 of their prospect rankings at the moment. The Cardinals have two catchers at the major league level they like, Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages. They also have three catchers in their top 10 prospects. 2024 Texas League MVP Jimmy Crooks could be a tempting return for the Rays. Crooks is the Cardinals No. 6 prospect and appears close to being MLB ready. He is currently at the Triple-A level.
How Likely is a Trade?
The Cardinals have a recent history of acquiring young starting pitchers from the Rays. In 2020, the two sides struck a deal that sent Matthew Liberatore to the Cardinals in a package that included the eventual ALCS MVP, Randy Arozarena, to the club. Liberatore is having a breakout season in 2025 as a starter with the Cardinals.
Both the Cardinals and the Rays are in Postseason contention in their respective leagues. Both clubs are also in third place in their respective divisions. A trade could be beneficial to both clubs, as one has a surplus in a position where their potential partner is struggling. However, Bradley is still an attractive piece for the Rays to hold on to. If they are to move him, especially with the going rate starting pitchers typically have at the deadline, the Cardinals may have to sweeten the deal with something besides a catcher.
The Cardinals are still in limbo on whether they will buy or sell at the deadline. They will be hesitant to move any young players or prospects, as they still have their eyes set on 2026 and beyond as their top priority. How the coming weeks unfold will be a significant factor in determining the motivation of both sides to reach a deal and what that deal could look like.
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