The Toronto Blue Jays just set a loud new market for controllable pitching, and that should have the St. Louis Cardinals paying close attention.
If Jose Soriano can fetch the Blue Jays’ No. 2 prospect, shortstop Arjun Nimmala, plus two more prospects in a deal with the Los Angeles Angels, then Andre Pallante suddenly looks like the kind of arm St. Louis ought to be shopping.
Soriano and Pallante are in a similar contract window, with two years of club control left, and both have turned in breakout seasons. Soriano has been the bigger name, putting up a 3.29 ERA in 22 starts. Pallante hasn’t matched that level, but he’s been solid in his own right with a 3.72 ERA across 21 starts, while also ranking among baseball’s best at limiting damage and keeping the ball on the ground.
That combination gives Pallante real trade value now. He’s a useful starter, and teams looking for rotation help could see him as more than just a depth piece. For the Cardinals, that matters because the organization doesn’t appear likely to extend him, especially with pitching talent moving through the system.
The thinking is simple: Pallante becomes less attractive as his price climbs, so St. Louis may be better off cashing in while his value is high.
By the time he reaches free agency, the Cardinals expect to have a wave of arms ready to compete for rotation spots, including Liam Doyle, Quinn Mathews, Tanner Franklin, Brandon Clarke, and Jurrangelo Cijntje. Add in the possibility of free-agent signings or another trade, and Pallante starts to look more expendable.
A deal now could give the Cardinals a prospect return, clear future rotation space for those younger arms, and create more financial flexibility for another starter or another area of need. That’s the upside.
The catch is finding the right market. There are rumors of interest in Pallante, but some of it is tied to a bullpen role rather than his value as a starter.
That wouldn’t be enough for St. Louis to pull the trigger.
If clubs are only willing to view him as a reliever, the Cardinals should probably keep him.
But if a team sees Pallante as a starter and is ready to pay accordingly, St. Louis should move.
The Soriano deal showed how expensive controllable pitching can get, and that’s exactly why Pallante belongs in the conversation now. Sell high when the market is there.
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In return, St. Louis added pitching depth, getting right-hander Daniel Eagen and left-handed reliever Sando Santana as part of a package that also includes a third player not yet reported. It is the kind of deal that can look sensible on paper for a team trying to balance present needs with future value, but the final shape of the return still has one more piece to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]