Pirates are making moves. Do the Cardinals need to make any?

In an effort to spark their team after a recent 6-11 stretch, the Pirates acquired John Buck and Marlon Byrd from the Mets. 

As if that wasn't enough, the Pirates have been checking in on Justin Morneau as well.

After 20 years without a winning record or playoff berth, the Pirates are definitely "all-in" in their pursuit of a division crown this year.

In the meantime, the Cardinals appear to be standing pat.  John Mozeliak told reporters recently that "trying to get help from the outside is going to be difficult for multiple reasons.  Right now this team is going to have to find a way to do it from within."

There are players out there that have cleared waivers, such as the Nationals Dan Haren, a former Cardinals, who might make sense for the Cards to pursue, but the price appears to be pretty steep.  Adam Kilgore quoted Nationals GM Mike Rizzo as saying it would take a "good package of players to consider moving him."

Considering that the Pirates gave up their #16 and #20 pre-season prospect (per Baseball America), Vic Black and Dilson Herrera, respectively, for Buck and Byrd, a couple of decent, but not great players, Rizzo is probably right to expect more for Haren.

Other than that, there's not much to look at.  Sure, the Nats may have Danny Espinosa on the block, but is he any better than Pete Kozma?

Thus, it appears that things will stay pretty quiet on the trade front for the Cardinals, the players available are either not much of an upgrade or too expensive to pursue and, with the recent strong play of the team (excusing tonight's game), its all the more reason to pass.

Are the Cardinals really pursuing Astros' Bud Norris and Lucas Harrell?

Let me preface this by saying that I really respect Peter Gammons.  He is one of the best reporters in the game.  However a tweet from him this morning had me scratching my head.

Here is the tweet from Gammons at 11:23 AM this morning:

"Cards are asking about a SS as well as P. Interested in Lucas Harrell and Bud Norris of Astros."

The Cardinals currently have Joe Kelly and Shelby Miller locked in a battle for the 5th starter spot and the other 4 starters have had a pretty good spring.  Jaime Garcia has shown no ill affects from his shoulder issues from last year.  Adam Wainwright looks like he has returned to his 2010 form and Lance Lynn and Jake Westbrook have not showed any signs of slippage. 

With the starters fairing well this spring and the emergence of Michael Wacha, it begs the question as to why the Cardinals would feel the need to pursue more pitching?

Derrick Goold suggested the Cards could be bargain hunting from the salary dumping Astros.  However, while that makes sense in the case of Bud Norris, who is making $3 million this year, Harrell is only making 1/2 a million this year and is not arbitration eligible until 2015. 

Perhaps the Cardinals could acquire Norris for cheap, giving them another young arm to add to their pitching mix without having to give up one of their young arms in return.  Norris would be under team control through the 2015 season at a reasonable price.  But he has had only one above average season in 2011, when he posted a 3.77 ERA with 176 K's in 186 innings.

Harrell had a bit of a breakout season in 2012, with a 3.76 ERA and 140 K's inn 193.2 innings.  But he would probably cost a bit more in terms of prospects and I don't know if he's worth it.

Goold also bought up another good point, if the Cardinals felt the need to add pitching, they could have pursued Kyle Lohse, which would only cost money, not prospects.  However, his asking price and years have not appeared to have come down much, despite his lack of a contract offer.

My only hope is that the Cardinals do not pull another Dan Haren move and trade an up-and-coming young pitcher for a so-called "proven" pitcher (we all remember Mark Mulder, don't we).