The Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals have been two very interesting teams this year. The Mariners fell just short of the World Series last October but are struggling to stay on top in a weak American League West.
The Cardinals meanwhile have missed the postseason three straight years and were supposed to be rebuilding this year, but they find themselves just two games back of the final National League wild card spot.
Seattle will likely buy at the trade deadline, whereas St. Louis’ direction isn’t quite clear just yet. However, Jeff Passan of ESPN listed starter Logan Gilbert as a “dream match” for St. Louis, given that the Mariners have a lot of starting pitching depth and the Cardinals are lacking it.
“The Mariners have zero intention of moving Gilbert, who has been their best starter, but with free agency beckoning after the 2027 season and Kade Anderson big-league-ready and Ryan Sloan not far behind, it’s worth bookmarking his name as a potential trade candidate going forward — particularly for a team like St. Louis that’s bound to devote more resources to winning next year.”
What Gilbert Brings to St. Louis
Gilbert does have one more year of control after this season, so he is somebody that could help the Cardinals in the future if they were to trade for him. He would give them a front of the rotation starter that could help them if they truly have their sights set on the playoffs.
They would have to give up a lot of prospects for him though, and that’s even if the Mariners consider moving him, which as Passan notes, is highly unlikely.
But in theory, this would be a good move for St. Louis, as Gilbert is an innings-eater and can be trusted to start a postseason game. The Cardinals starting rotation is their biggest weakness, so finding a way to improve it for now and in the future wouldn’t be a bad idea. But they aren’t likely to trade from their young core of Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, Ivan Herrera and JJ Wetherholt.
Would Mariners Consider It?
Again, the Mariners don’t even seem to be considering this, but if they did, they would be trading from a place where they have a lot of depth. They could afford to trade at least one starter for some offense.
But with Gilbert pitching so well this season and the Mariners in first place, it’s unlikely that they’ll even entertain offers for him.
If they ever do, it’s more likely that they will be willing to do that in the offseason. Gilbert is a free agent after the 2027 season, so they could at least consider moving him while his value is high in the offseason before the lockout takes place.
The Mariners could bring back a good haul for him, but the Cardinals have a lot of left-handed bats, so they might not be the best match for Seattle if they ever consider moving on from Gilbert.
There are still several weeks left before the deadline hits on August 3. St. Louis’ direction isn’t quite clear at the moment, but that should change soon.
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