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BREAKING: Cardinals Trade Tommy Edman for Erick Fedde & Tommy Pham

By J. P. Hill Jul 29, 2024 | 3:39 PM
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Yes, that Tommy Pham!

UPDATE: Here’s the official announcement from the Cardinals, with an update on the trade:

The official version of the trade now includes RHP Oliver Gonzalez going from the Cardinals to the Dodgers. Gonzalez is a 17-year-old pitcher in the DSL.

Original Post:

The Cardinals got the upgrade they craved for their rotation and didn’t have to give up anything from their system to get it done.

Here are the details of the deal:

The Cardinals acquire coveted right-handed starter, Erick Fedde, and former Redbird outfielder, Tommy Pham, for 2b/SS/CF/UT Tommy Edman. The rest of the prospects involved in the deal came from the Dodgers who gave up three infielders, including MLB utility player Miguel Vargas, and two prospects.

Fedde’s profile fits the Cardinals’ preference for a starter. He is experiencing a resurgence after a year of exile in the KBO and a new pitch arsenal. Fedde converted his curve into a sweeper. He mixes it around a cutter and sinker. He doesn’t walk many batters. He has a 3.11/3.76 ERA/FIP this season.

Fedde also has one more year of team control. He returned to the majors this season on a 2-year deal worth $15M total. Currently, the team has six starters under team control for 2025, with Gray, Matz, Fedde, Mikolas all under contract, and team options on Gibson and Lynn. While they will have some options on who they keep and who they let walk, Fedde seems likely to slide in behind Gray as the team’s #2 starter.

Tommy Pham, meanwhile, gets the reunion with the Cardinals that he desired this spring. Pham, 36, has a 102 wRC+ on the season with some pretty ugly defensive metrics. His slash line is .266/.330/.380 with 5 homers. He seems likely to provide right-handed outfield depth.

With two players joining the 40-man roster, the Cardinals still need to clear one more space. The club DFA’ed Gio Gallegos over the weekend. Edman, though, was on the 60-day IL. Could they remove another Major Leaguer to find room?

Rumors are circling about a potential Dylan Carlson trade. MLB Cardinals reporter noted:

Adding Pham does seem to make Carlson redundant. Both Nootbaar and Pham *can* play center field. However, if the Cardinals trade Carlson, it would likely be for more MLB depth, likely a reliever or two.

Their roster crunch is more likely solved by DFA’ing 4th-catcher Nick Raposo.

Update: I was right.

The trade deadline is not until 6 pm ET on Tuesday. The Cardinals might not be done. Stay tuned for more breaking news and instant analysis.

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