Pitching against his former club, Erick Fedde delivered a performance to remember on Friday. Facing the Washington Nationals—a team he spent six seasons with—Fedde led the St. Louis Cardinals to a commanding 10-0 victory. The right-hander was nearly flawless, going the distance for his first-ever complete game shutout. He gave up just six hits, struck out eight, and didn’t walk a batter. Fedde’s dominant outing not only helped the Cardinals cruise to a win but also gave the front office more clarity as the trade deadline approaches.
With Friday’s win, the Cardinals improved to 20-19 and currently hold second place in the NL Central. However, their position is a bit misleading—they’re actually closer to falling to fourth than catching the division leader. In a highly competitive National League, most don’t view this team as a serious playoff contender.
Because of that, many expect the Cardinals to become sellers as the July trade deadline approaches. And after Fedde’s stellar outing, he could be one of the first players on the move.
Through eight starts and 46.2 innings, Erick Fedde has posted a 3.86 ERA for the Cardinals. But that number doesn’t fully reflect how effective he’s been. The right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in five of those starts and has gone at least six innings in each of them. While he’s had a few rough outings, overall, he’s been a reliable arm in the St. Louis rotation.
Still, despite his solid performance, the Cardinals may be inclined to move on from him. For one, their playoff chances look slim in a competitive National League. More importantly, Fedde is in the final year of his contract and, at 32 years old, he’s not the type of player the team is likely to build around long term.
By trading Fedde, the Cardinals could bring in promising young talent and open up a rotation spot for an up-and-coming pitcher like Michael McGreevy—or perhaps even Quinn Mathews once he’s healthy. It’s a move that fits a team looking toward the future.
At this point, Fedde sticking around past the trade deadline seems unlikely. But if he keeps pitching well, St. Louis could benefit from an even stronger return when the time comes. His performance on Friday only helped raise his value.