Erick Fedde Trade Turns Into a Fascinating Three-Team Deal

Rumors started to circulate last night and became a reality with a three-team trade coming together between the Dodgers, Cardinals, and White Sox.

The Cardinals are receiving starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham while the Dodgers will get utilityman Tommy Edman and relief pitcher Michael Kopech. The White Sox are receiving former top prospect Miguel Vargas and two Single-A prospects in Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus.

This is clearly a buying move for the Dodgers who turn prospects into a key offensive piece and hopeful impact reliever. Meanwhile, the Cardinals get the starting pitcher they desperately need without hurting their future moving forward.

St. Louis Cardinals Side of the Trade

St. Louis has had a strong past month and they’re currently just one game out of National League Wild Card spot. They have a clear need to upgrade their rotation and are doing just that with Erick Fedde, who is in the midst of a breakout season. He signed with the White Sox on a two-year deal, $15 million deal after winning the KBO MVP in 2023 and has been a revelation.

Fedde was a former top prospect in Washington but never put things together in his first handful of MLB seasons. He adjusted his arsenal entirely in Korea making a sweeper and changeup key parts of his mix, paired with two fastballs, cutter and sinker. He has posted a 3.11 ERA with 108 strikeouts across 121.2 innings in Chicago.

Reliability was a need for an inconsistent Cardinals rotation and Fedde has been just that all season in Chicago. He has made every start and logged solid innings nearly ever time he took the ball in Chicago. Fedde is under contract next year for $7.5 million, which helps the Cardinals for the future as well.

Pham is a depth add in the form of a reunion for the Cardinals as he began his career in St. Louis. Some of the Cardinals expected outfielders have underperformed severely this season and Pham will provide a versatile bat and veteran presence to the club.

He has posted a .710 OPS while playing center and right field for the White Sox after signing with the team in April due to injuries and lack of outfield depth on the roster. He is not the best version of himself at this point, but is a capable outfielder and provides solid at-bat.

Attaining a much-needed starter without having to trade any prospects is a big win for the Cardinals as Edman’s time with St. Louis was seemingly coming to an end in the near future one way or another. This feels like a win for the Cardinals to get two veterans without moving any prospects.

The Dodgers Side of the Trade

The Dodgers are surely not done just yet but they had a need for another bat and particularly a versatile one that can fill a variety of roles depending on injuries and needs of the roster. Tommy Edman fits that role perfectly, despite missing this whole season so far.

He is currently rehabbing in Double-A and should be able to join the Dodgers in the near future. Edman’s bat is not elite but he has a career .727 OPS and offers ample speed on the bases. He has stolen at least 25 bases in all three full seasons of his career.

For a team as talented as Los Angeles, they don’t need huge impact offensively from Edman and his versatility will make a huge impact down the stretch. He signed a deal with St. Louis to buyout his arbitration that will make him $9.5 million in 2025 with the Dodgers.

Michael Kopech is a risky but high upside addition for a Dodgers team that is known for getting the most out of pitchers. After failing to establish consistent command as a starter, Kopech transitioned into a relief role ahead of this year.

He has shown flashes of dominance at times and his 100 mph fastball can be one of the best pitches in baseball when located and used properly. However, command has still been shaky and he has been over-reliant on the heater at times.

Within the Dodgers organization, there is plenty of reason to believe Kopech can be an impact arm late in games down the stretch. If he can establish his secondary pitches further and command a little more, he could become one of the better pitchers in the Dodgers bullpen.

A full trade breakdown of the White Sox return will be coming soon, but they added a former elite prospect who will slide immediately into their MLB lineup in addition to two high-upside Single-A hitters that will be some of the best lower level hitters in a farm system that needs hitting depth badly.

Overall, the Cardinals and Dodgers have both filled needs without having to move any substantive prospects, while the White Sox are taking a swing on some upside players as they cash in on three players that were bound to move.