The St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves could come together on a trade to send a starting pitcher to Atlanta.
Last season, Atlanta had four solid starting pitchers: Chris Sale, Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez, and Charlie Morton. After that, prospect Spencer Schwellenbach stepped up significantly, while other prospects suffered. This winter, Atlanta lost Fried and is expected to lose Morton to free agency as well.
This is where a blockbuster trade could come into play, and the St. Louis Cardinals are an ideal trading partner.
This Braves-Cardinals trade sends Erick Fedde to be Atlanta’s fifth starter
Enter starting pitcher Erick Fedde, who came to St. Louis at last season’s trade deadline by way of the White Sox but didn’t elevate the Cards enough to get them into the postseason.
It is vital to remember that the Braves would assume the remainder of Fedde’s contract, which is worth $7.5 million in 2025. It’s not a lot, but it’s worth noting that no cash is being moved in this planned transaction.
In exchange, the Cardinals would acquire two young pitchers.
Bryce Elder has All-Star potential, as seen in his rookie season, but his current floor is devastatingly low. Elder labored to a 6.52 ERA in 2024 and showed little signs of improvement as the year progressed. Still, at 25 years old, he could be a valuable reclamation project for St. Louis.
Hackenburg, 22, has been dominant throughout his professional baseball career. In 135.1 innings, the righty has a 2.99 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and a.206 batting average allowed. When he has struggled, it is the walks that have caused him pain.
Fedde offers the Braves a dependable fifth starter to slot behind their top four. Last season, Atlanta battled with depth, and they have done little to address it. You just cannot enter a season with only four dependable starting pitchers and a few question marks.
Fedde may only be a stopgap until a prospect like AJ Smith-Shawver or Hurston Waldrep is ready, but the righty would be a solid addition to Atlanta’s rotation early in the season.
