Cardinals Notes: Edman, Brebbia, Matz, Kloffenstein

While the Cardinals are looking for players to acquire at the deadline as they chase an NL wild card slot, the team could also pursue some strategic sales, as The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports that the Dodgers are interested in Tommy Edman‘s services. The versatile Edman could provide depth or even a starting role at multiple positions for an injury-plagued Dodgers team, and an argument can be made that St. Louis already has enough position player depth to make Edman redundant.

The biggest hurdle to a deal, of course, is Edman’s own health, as he has yet to play a single major-league game this season. Edman underwent wrist surgery last fall, and his rehab process has taken considerably longer than expected — his recovery has been slowed by a pair of shutdowns due to recurring wrist pain, as well as a sprained ankle. He has played in seven games during his rehab assignment at Double-A Springfield, but only as a DH, rather than any field action.

The Cards would certainly want to sell low on a player who generated just 5.4 fWAR in 2022, between Edman’s strong glovework all over the field and an above-average (106 wRC+) performance at the plate. However, 2022 represented the peak of Edman’s full-season offensive production, as he had an 89 wRC+ in 2021 and a 92 wRC+ in 528 PA last season.

The two-year, $16.5 million extension Edman signed last January also carries a hefty price tag for his services, with roughly $2.4 million still owed to him this season and $9.5 million due in 2025. The Cardinals would almost certainly have to eat a big chunk of that money to make a trade possible, unless they perhaps trade Edman to the Dodgers or another team for another unfavorable contract.

Such a creative move could go some way toward addressing the Cardinals’ other deadline needs, which Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat describes as a right-handed hitter in the outfield, a starting pitcher and some depth in the bullpen. For the latter purpose, Jones reports that the Cards are interested in the White Sox reliever John Brebbia.

It was set to be a reunion for the Cardinals and the veteran reliever, as Brebbia broke into the big leagues with St. Louis in 2017 and quickly established himself as a workhorse. Brebbia posted a 3.14 ERA over 175 relief innings in 2017-19, but Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2020 season and the Cards did not offer him a contract after that lost year. He re-established himself by pitching for the Giants from 2021-23, then signed a one-year, $4 million free agent contract with the White Sox last winter that includes a $1.5 million buyout of a $6 million mutual option for 2025.

Brebbia’s work with the Sox has been a lot better than his 5.22 ERA would suggest, as a .352 BABIP has inflated the righty’s bottom line. In terms of secondary stats, Brebbia has a strong 29.5% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate, as well as above-average hard-contact numbers. With the White Sox clearly in sell mode, Brebbia is a likely candidate to move before the deadline, and St. Louis, among other things, might be intrigued by Brebbia’s Statcast line rather than his deceptive ERA.

The Cardinals expect to find a pitcher even as some internal players are recovering as Steven Matz is tentatively scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment later this week (according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ). Matz’s injury-plagued stint with the Cards has now seen him miss nearly three months due to back problems, with the left-hander posting a 6.18 ERA over 27 2/3 innings in April before being sidelined. Given that Matz’s rehab work has already been halted twice due to recurring back pain, this latest rehab assignment isn’t a clear sign that the veteran is fully on the road to recovery, but he did log two simulated innings of pitching in a Saturday pitching session.

In more worrying injury news, Adam Kloffenstein is having trouble with his right shoulder, manager Oliver Marmol told Jones and other reporters. Kloffenstein is currently on the minor league injured list as tests are performed to determine the nature and extent of the problem. Injured in the Jordan Hicks After being traded to the Blue Jays last summer, Kloffenstein has a 4.74 ERA in 89 1/3 innings and 17 starts in Triple-A games this season. He also made his major league debut in a snap, starting one inning in the Cards’ 6-5 win over the Giants on June 20.