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Thursday, May 17, 2012

St. Louis Cardinals: 3 Relievers Redbirds Should Target at Trade Deadline - Bleacher Report

It’s still early in the season, but it’s starting to become clear where some of the holes in the St. Louis Cardinals roster will be.

One of those spots is the bullpen. This year’s bullpen only has one lefty (Marc Rzepczynski) and has been overworked and overmatched thus far.

Mitchell Boggs has struggled, Kyle McClellan has been bad and Victor Marte has been very inconsistent.

So, let’s take a look at three relievers who could be on the trade market this June and July that the Redbirds should target through trade.

Koji Uehara, Texas Rangers 

The Rangers have a ton of bullpen talent, with Mike Adams, Mark Lowe, Scott Feldman, Alexi Ogando, Koji Uehara and Joe Nathan.

So, Texas might be willing to part ways with one of the relievers for a young first baseman or an outfielder.

This is a move they were looking to make at the start of the season, so the Cardinals should see if it’s something they would still be interested in doing.

Uehara has been superb this season, amassing a 1.35 ERA in 13 appearances.

144114326_crop_340x234Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Brian Duensing, Minnesota Twins 

Duensing used to be a starter for the Twins, but has since been moved to the bullpen.

He’s having a pretty good year after the shift, with a 1.89 ERA in 17 outings.

He’s also a left-handed pitcher, so he’d be a great complement to Rzepczynski and would give Mike Matheny more lefty matchup options.

With the way the Twins have been playing this year, Duensing will be available at the deadline and could make an immediate impact.

Luke Gregerson, San Diego Padres

Gregerson, a former Cardinals farmhand, has averaged a little bit more than a strikeout per inning during his major league career.

Unfortunately for him, he’s been toiling away in relative obscurity in San Diego for his entire career.

With the Padres once again going nowhere fast, Gregerson will be available for the right price.

The Cardinals might want to take a look at the 28-year-old righty, who could be a staple in the bullpen for years to come.

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