The St. Louis Cardinals secured a much-needed series victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night and now turn their attention to a pivotal showdown with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field—one that could have a major impact on the direction of their season.
The Cardinals’ starting rotation has been one of their biggest weaknesses this year, making it essential to bolster their pitching depth before the trade deadline, regardless of whether they decide to buy or sell.
The status of right-hander Dustin May is uncertain following his exit from Thursday’s game. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report proposed a few trade ideas with the deadline now exactly one month away, and one of them had St. Louis bringing back Michael Wacha in a trade with the Kansas City Royals.
Time to bring back an old friend?
“Now 35 years old, Michael Wacha broke into the majors with the Cardinals back in 2013, making four consecutive quality starts for them that postseason,” Miller wrote. “He spent seven seasons there before leaving in free agency, but it might be time to bring him back home.
“The Cardinals could desperately use a veteran arm in their rotation for this season and beyond, and Wacha could be their Game 1 starter if they stick around and make the postseason.”
Wacha was actually drafted by the Cardinals as compensation for the loss of Albert Pujols in 2012. One year later, he was the NLCS MVP and helped guide St. Louis to its 19th National League pennant, even picking up a win in Game 2 of the World Series.
Injuries soured his tenure in St. Louis, but he was still a fan favorite during his time as a Cardinal, and they likely would not have been in the World Series that year without him.
But with May’s status uncertain, the Cardinals may have a reason to possibly bring back Wacha via trade. It all depends though on how Chaim Bloom wants to attack the trade deadline. The team seems more likely to sell than to buy, so it remains to be seen if this is even a possibility.
But Wacha does at least give them an extra year of club control, plus potentially one more if his club option is exercised for 2028. So, it might not be a bad idea for St. Louis to try and find a way to bring him back as they look for more rotation depth for the future.
