The St. Louis Cardinals got an unusually convenient opportunity to scout one of their top MLB trade deadline targets Monday night. Right-hander Jose Soriano was on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels, pitching directly against the Cardinals’ lineup in a road series opener. This wasn’t just another game for St. Louis executives, though: Soriano’s performance could give them one more crucial reason to pull the trigger on a trade before the Aug. 3 deadline. The Cardinals, sitting at 51-47, are smack dab in the middle of a crowded National League wild-card race, making every decision from here on out absolutely vital.
Soriano’s Stats Are Screaming “Add Me!”
Let’s be real, the Cardinals need help in their rotation, and Soriano’s numbers are a flashing neon sign. This dude is 8-6 with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He’s racked up 115 strikeouts over 111 innings through 20 starts this season, and opponents are hitting a tiny .222 against him. Seriously, can you imagine those stats boosting a Cardinals rotation that’s rocking a combined 4.16 ERA? Michael McGreevy has been solid with a 2.92 ERA over 19 starts, and Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante have chipped in valuable innings too. But then you look at Dustin May’s 4.78 ERA or Matthew Liberatore’s 5.00 ERA and 1.48 WHIP, and you know the team needs another reliable arm. Soriano’s got the goods: he’s 27, slings a fastball around 97 mph, and his strikeout rate is up to 9.3 per nine innings. Plus, he’s a ground-ball machine, which is perfect for a Cardinals team that’s always prided itself on infield defense and keeping the ball in the park. Yeah, 53 walks show his command can be a bit wild, but his velocity, strikeouts, and ground-ball production scream No. 2 or No. 3 starter upside. That’s a game-changer!
This Isn’t Just a Rental, Folks
Here’s the kicker: Soriano isn’t some two-month rental. MLB.com confirms he’s under club control all the way through the 2028 season! That’s huge. Acquiring him wouldn’t just be about boosting their current wild-card push; it would lock in a controllable starter for the next two seasons beyond this one. For an organization like St. Louis, trying to end a postseason drought that stretches back to 2022 and win a playoff series for the first time since 2019, that’s everything. They’re tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates at 51-47, battling for a wild-card spot, and they can’t afford to just blow prospects on a short-term fix. Soriano addresses a major weakness and gives them a future.
So, the Cardinals had their scouting mission. Now comes the hard part: will they make the move to get Soriano? This decision could absolutely define their season, maybe even the next few years. The clock is ticking toward Aug. 3. Let’s see if they pull the trigger and truly go for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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