Cubs Rumors: Cardinals eyeing a Tyler Glasnow trade of their own?

A Tyler Glasnow acquisition comes with risk. There's no doubt about that. Given the right-hander's checkered injury history, there's no guarantee he stays healthy for the duration of the 2024 campaign.

But with the Tampa Bay Rays unlikely to pay him the $25 million he's due in the final year of his deal, suitors are already lining up to get a chance to trade for Glasnow. The Cubs have been linked to him multiple times in the last year-plus, but a new report suggests the rival Cardinals are putting the pieces together to go out and get that caliber of arm.

Glasnow would be an intriguing addition to the St. Louis starting rotation. The 30-year-old has dealt with a plethora of injuries but when he has been healthy he has shown flashes of being one of the best righties in the American League. Glasnow was impressive this season pitching to a 3.53 ERA across 21 starts for Tampa Bay. Overall, Glasnow has a 3.89 ERA across eight big league seasons.

Unlike Chicago, St. Louis is absolutely desperate to rebuild a starting rotation that ranked among the worst in all baseball in 2023. Cardinals starters ranked 26th in the league in ERA and 29th in opponent batting average, better than only the lowly Colorado Rockies.

Cubs rotation in a much stronger starting spot than the Cardinals - what does that mean for a potential Tyler Glasnow trade pursuit?

Adam Wainwright rode off into the sunset after a disastrous final MLB campaign, although he did notch his 200th win in his final start. There's not a lot to inspire confidence in what's left. The team traded Jordan Montgomery to Texas and Jack Flaherty to Baltimore at the deadline and Miles Mikolas took the ball every five days - but that's about all you can say for him, with a 4.78 ERA and league-worsts 226 hits and 107 runs allowed.

In my opinion, Glasnow feels like a better fit on a team like the Cubs, who already have solid rotation depth. If he doesn't pan out, it would no doubt hurt - but wouldn't totally derail the 2024 season. St. Louis might be better served looking for more of a sure thing with a lower ceiling because dependability was sorely lacking for this rotation and has to be addressed if the Cards want to avoid finishing last in the division again next year.