ST. LOUIS -- Days before the three-team trade that ultimately reshaped their starting pitching depth and fortified their right-handed hitting against lefties, the Cardinals had an agreement in place on a Tommy Edman for Erick Fedde deal with the White Sox. But, still, the Cards wanted more out of the deal.
When the Cardinals learned that it was actually the Dodgers that coveted Edman instead of the White Sox -- a rebuilding organization looking for a plundering of prospects -- St. Louis was able to satisfy its desire for more from a trade it hopes will greatly enhance the club’s chances of becoming championship contenders again.
When the Cardinals ultimately landed veteran slugger Tommy Pham, along with adding Fedde, they felt they addressed their two greatest needs while also hanging onto prized prospects and staying within the budget parameters. Most of all, the club sent the message a day before the MLB Trade Deadline that it is doing everything in its power to try and win the NL Central and make a deep push in the postseason.
TRADE DETAILS
Cardinals receive: RHP Erick Fedde, OF Tommy Pham and cash (from White Sox), player to be named later or cash (from Dodgers)
Dodgers receive: RHP Michael Kopech (from White Sox), INF/OF Tommy Edman and RHP prospect Oliver Gonzalez (from Cardinals)
White Sox receive: INF/OF Miguel Vargas, INF prospect Jeral Perez (LAD No. 17 prospect), INF prospect Alexander Albertus (LAD No. 23 prospect), player to be named later or cash (from Dodgers)
“Anytime the players and the staff have their mindset on one thing -- and that’s starting with winning this division -- and then your front office acts accordingly, it lets them know that everybody is in it to win it,” manager Oliver Marmol said.
President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he thought of the Cardinals as contenders before the deals he pulled off on Monday, and he thinks the squad is now better equipped to handle the pitching fatigue of August and September and better attack the left-handed pitchers who have stymied St. Louis’ lineup. Whether the Cardinals added enough to make a run at their first World Series title since 2011 remains to be seen.
“I do believe this team can contend,” Mozeliak said. “Obviously, the last week or so hasn’t been as good as the last two and a half months. And we’ve already forgotten about the month of April. I think the way the club showed it’s capable of playing is what we’re excited about. So, as we push to October, we wanted to add some pieces that would make us stronger.”
Pham, 36, will be on the active roster and available to play on Tuesday night when the Cardinals host the Rangers, Mozeliak said. As for Fedde, 31, he will meet the Cardinals in Chicago on Thursday when they travel there for a four-game weekend series against the Cubs. The club has not decided when he will make his next start or which pitcher might be bumped from the rotation, Marmol said.
Pham was a 16th-round Draft pick by the Cardinals in 2006 and played for the Redbirds from 2014 until '18, when he was dealt to the Rays. Since leaving the Cards, Pham has played for the Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, Diamondbacks and White Sox. He has been traded at the Deadline each of the past three years, and this time he’s coming back to an organization where he’s had so much history.
“You know, it was like, ‘Welcome home.’” Mozeliak said of the call he made to Pham, welcoming him back to the Cardinals. “I think he’s just excited to be a part of a playoff race. He’s so competitive and he’s excited to be back here.”
Matt Carpenter, someone who played with Pham during their first stint together in St. Louis, called the veteran slugger “tied for first on a short list of the hardest workers that I’ve ever played with,” and he added that Pham “competes, plays with his hair on fire and will push guys.” Marmol said teams can never have too many relentless competitors, and he thinks Pham’s toughness and tenacity will bring a needed edge to the Cardinals’ clubhouse.
“We didn’t just get a right-handed bat, we got a guy that lives and dies for winning baseball games,” Marmol said. “That’s who he is. And him walking through those doors is going to be meaningful.”
Fedde, 31, left MLB to pitch in Korea in 2023 to try to get his career back on track. He appears to have done just that, going 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA over 21 starts this season with the rebuilding White Sox. In 121 2/3 innings this season, Fedde has limited the opposition to a .227 average while striking out 108 hitters and walking 34.
“I think the biggest thing was when he added the sweeper and that really changed his pitch profile,” said Mozeliak. “He’s pounding the strike zone more. When he was over in the KBO, we had a lot of interest in him. We ended up doing what we did, but here we are, and we have all four.”