Erick Fedde’s transformation has been remarkable. After several unproductive seasons with the Washington Nationals and a stint in Korea in 2023, he has become one of the best pitchers in the American League this season. Fedde is putting together the best individual season of his career by far, and teams needing pitching help at the trade deadline have noticed what he is doing this season. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported this morning that the St. Louis Cardinals have a “strong interest” in the 31-year-old right-handed pitcher.
Not only is Fedde performing extraordinarily well this season, but he is under contract for just $7.5 million next season. That is pennies relative to the production he is putting up. In addition, he has not missed a start all year and has a history of consistently eating innings. While it would generally make sense to keep a productive pitcher on an affordable contract, that is not true for the White Sox. A 31-year-old pitcher with a season and a half of control left does fit the White Sox long-term plans. As a result, it looks likely that Fedde will be traded by the end of the month.
St. Louis is in an interesting position right now. Star infielders Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have had down seasons compared to their typical numbers, and their rotation after veteran Sonny Gray has been relatively mediocre. Yet they currently hold the second Wild Card spot in the National League despite arguably underachieving as a team thus far. Given their rotation flaws, it makes sense that Fedde is a target. He would immediately become their second-best starting pitcher and help them tremendously in a playoff push.
The Cardinals have just one top 100 prospect per MLB.com, 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Tink Hence. It seems unlikely that they would part with him for Fedde. He is a top 50 prospect in MLB, and Fedde probably will not fetch that premium of a prospect in a trade. Thankfully, St. Louis has other prospects who could be of some interest to the White Sox.
Thomas Saggese is a 22-year-old infielder with solid skills across the board. Despite having a down season, the right-handed hitting Saggese was a top 100 prospect in the sport before this season and has shown power this year with 14 doubles and 11 home runs at the AAA level. He has played second, short, and third base this year, so he is versatile. Saggese could make sense if the White Sox want a near MLB-ready bat for Fedde.
César Prieto is a 25-year-old left-handed hitting infielder having a solid season in AAA. He traditionally has not hit for much power, but that has not been the case this year. He already has 20 doubles and 12 home runs this year while playing primarily second base. Prieto is another option if the White Sox want a near MLB-ready hitter from St. Louis.
Chase Davis is a 22-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder having a down year in Low-A. However, he was a first-round pick last year and has a 60-grade arm with 55-grade power. The White Sox improved their outfield depth in last week’s draft but could still use more reinforcements. Davis makes sense in that regard.
Including Jordan Walker’s name in trade talks would have seemed outrageous even just a few months ago. After all, he was a top-five prospect in MLB at one point and had a solid 2023 rookie year with the Cardinals. Unfortunately for him, it has been downhill since. He struggled immensely to open the season with the Cardinals and was sent down to AAA in late April where he has yet to fare much better. St. Louis seems unlikely to part with him for Fedde, but it truly depends on how much they have soured on him. At just 22 years old, Walker could be a very intriguing buy-low candidate for the White Sox if he is up for discussion.
Based on their previous moves and the current composition of the farm system, it seems like the White Sox will target bats in exchange for Fedde. But if Chicago is looking for pitching, St. Louis has that too. Left-handed pitchers Quinn Mathews and Cooper Hjerpe and right-handed pitchers Tekoah Roby, Gordon Graceffo, Sem Robberse, and Michael McGreevy are just some of the arms that could be up for grabs within the Cardinals system.
Erick Fedde has exceeded all expectations the White Sox had for him when they initially signed him, and it will soon be time to cash in. There will be plenty of suitors for him, including the Cardinals. Despite not having a strong farm system or centerpiece that would work in a Fedde trade, various two-for-one combinations could interest the White Sox in this scenario. Chicago holds the cards here. They have a pitcher that just about every contending team wants. It will be interesting to see what package they ultimately take, whether from the Cardinals or some other team.
