Erick Fedde traded to Braves: Cardinals move struggling starting pitcher to Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves have acquired veteran right-handed starter Erick Fedde from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. The Braves, who announced the trade on Sunday, will also receive cash considerations in the trade. Earlier in the week, the Cardinals designated the struggling Fedde for assignment. 

In order to make room for Fedde on the 40-player roster, the Braves transferred right-hander Grant Holmes to the 60-day injured list. 

The 32-year-old Fedde in 2025 has pitched to a 5.22 ERA/79 ERA+ in 20 starts for the Cardinals. He’s also struggled with his control and command, as he’s put up 63 strikeouts against 46 unintentional walks in 101 ⅔ innings. He’s owed the balance of a $7.5 million salary for this year and is eligible for free agency this coming offseason. 

Cardinals designate Erick Fedde for assignment: St. Louis cuts bait on struggling pitcher

Matt Snyder

Fedde was once regarded as a washout former first-rounder in his days with the Washington Nationals. However, he spent the 2023 season in Korea and dominated the competition thanks to a tweaked four-pitch repertoire. He returned to MLB for the 2024 season after signing a two-year deal with the Chicago White Sox. He thrived with the White Sox, which led to a deadline deal with the Cardinals. In all, Fedde in 2024 put up a WAR of 5.9, which raised hopes for another high-value performance in 2025. Thus far, though, repeat success has eluded him, although he remains a viable back-of-the-rotation presence at low cost. 

As for the Cardinals, they continue to have designs on contention this season, but at the same time they continue to seek trade opportunities for veterans in order to make room for younger contributors at the major-league level. In this instance, the DFA-ing and subsequent trade of Fedde opened up a rotation spot for 25-year-old right-hander Michael McGreevy.  

The disappointing Braves are 44-60 on the season and buried in fourth place in the National League East. This, then, is not any kind of “buyer” move on their part but rather an effort to cover rotation innings over the remainder of the season.