Cardinals get up-close look at ideal trade deadline target Jose Soriano

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Cardinals get up-close look at ideal trade deadline target Jose Soriano originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The St. Louis Cardinals will get an unusually convenient opportunity to scout one of their potential MLB trade deadline targets Monday night.

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St. Louis opens a road series against the Los Angeles Angels at 10:05 p.m. ET, with right-hander Jose Soriano expected to take the mound for the home team. Soriano will be trying to quiet the Cardinals’ lineup, but his performance could also provide St. Louis executives with one more reason to pursue him before the Aug. 3 deadline.

The Cardinals entered Monday with a 51-47 record, leaving them firmly involved in the crowded National League wild-card race. Their position in the standings gives the front office a difficult decision: Make a meaningful addition to improve the rotation or hope the current group can survive the stretch run.

Soriano would offer St. Louis help now without becoming a short-term rental.

Jose Soriano fits what Cardinals need

Soriano is 8-6 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 115 strikeouts over 111 innings this season. Opponents are batting only .222 against him through 20 starts.

Those numbers would immediately strengthen a Cardinals rotation that entered the series with a combined 4.16 ERA. Michael McGreevy has been excellent, posting a 2.92 ERA over 19 starts. Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante have also provided valuable innings. The rest of the rotation, however, has been far less dependable.

Dustin May owns a 4.78 ERA, while Matthew Liberatore has struggled to a 5.00 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. St. Louis needs another starter capable of missing bats and handling meaningful innings if it plans to remain in postseason contention.

Soriano checks both boxes.

The 27-year-old averages approximately 97 mph with his fastball and has increased his strikeout rate to 9.3 per nine innings this season. He has also built a reputation for generating ground balls, an appealing skill for a Cardinals team that has historically emphasized infield defense and keeping the ball in the ballpark. His 53 walks show that command remains an issue. Still, Soriano’s combination of velocity, strikeouts and ground-ball production gives him the upside of a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.

Soriano would be more than a rental

The strongest argument for St. Louis pursuing Soriano is his contract status. Soriano remains under club control through the 2028 season, according to MLB.com. Acquiring him would therefore strengthen the rotation for the current playoff race while giving the Cardinals a controllable starter for the next two seasons.

That matters for a St. Louis organization that must balance the desire to end its postseason drought with the need to avoid sacrificing valuable prospects for a two-month rental. The Cardinals have not reached the postseason since 2022 and have not won a playoff series since 2019. At 51-47, they are tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates and sit among several teams fighting for the final National League wild-card position.

Soriano would not guarantee a playoff appearance, but he would address one of the most obvious weaknesses on the roster.

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Will Angels trade Jose Soriano?

Los Angeles has plenty of reason to listen to offers. The Angels entered Monday with a 39-61 record, the worst mark in the American League. Another lost season has positioned the franchise as a likely seller, and controllable starting pitchers such as Soriano and Reid Detmers could generate substantial interest.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand identified both pitchers as possible trade candidates, noting that buyers place a premium on controllable pitching. The Angels have been reluctant to commit to full-scale selling in previous seasons, so Soriano’s availability is not guaranteed. The asking price could also be significant. Soriano is young, affordable and productive, meaning Los Angeles has no obligation to move him unless another club presents an attractive package.

St. Louis would also face competition. The Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and other contenders searching for rotation help could view Soriano as one of the best available alternatives if established aces remain off the market. That makes Monday’s matchup particularly fascinating for the Cardinals.

Their hitters will be doing everything possible to hand Soriano another loss. Behind the scenes, the organization may be wondering what it would take to bring him back to St. Louis after the series ends.

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