3 trade targets for the Angels to start scouting if the Cardinals continue to tank

The St. Louis Cardinals are a mess. That's something the Los Angeles Angels saw firsthand last week. The Angels swept their three-game series in St. Louis, winning each game in different ways. We saw them score runs, we saw them pitch well, and we saw them win a game late. The Angels caused the diehard fans at Busch Stadium to boo their own team, something you rarely see there.

The Cards won yesterday but had lost eight in a row before that. They now sit at 11-24 this season and have the worst record in the National League. They made the decision to move Willson Contreras away from behind the dish and make him their full-time DH for reasons I cannot comprehend.

The Cardinals are a team stockpiled with talent and just haven't played well. They're one year removed from a 93-win season and an NL Central division title. Assuming the Cardinals don't go on an insane run to catapult them back into postseason contention, the Angels should be doing their homework to see if a deal can be made closer to this year's trade deadline. These three players could be good fits.

1) LA Angels trade target on the Cardinals: Jordan Montgomery

The Cardinals made an interesting trade at last season's trade deadline sending Harrison Bader to the Yankees in exchange for Jordan Montgomery. The Cards have a ton of outfielders so this deal made sense from their perspective, and Montgomery has been even better than expected.

Last season, he had a 3.11 ERA in 11 starts for the Cardinals. He helped them catch and pass the Brewers to win the NL Central.

This season, the Cardinals pitching is a mess, but Montgomery has been the one bright spot. He has a 3.29 ERA in his first seven starts of the season to go along with a 2.87 FIP. He's not an ace, but the Angels don't need an ace. He's a guy who can give you six quality innings per start, something the Angels desperately need.

Montgomery has gone at least five innings in all but one of his starts. He's gone at least six innings in all but two of his starts. He's allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his starts, and two runs or fewer in all but two. Bottom line, most of the time, he's money.

With Montgomery being a free agent at the end of the year, it'd behoove the Cardinals to move on and get compensation for him if indeed they remain out of contention.

2) LA Angels trade target on the Cardinals: Giovanny Gallegos

With Jose Quijada out for the season, the Angels lost one of their high-leverage arms. While I love what Matt Moore and Carlos Estevez have done, those guys are the only players I really trust right now late in games.

Adding a proven late-game arm like Giovanny Gallegos could help the Angels in a big way late in games. They'll have three arms to choose between and won't have to overwork Estevez and Moore.

Gallegos has experience in just about every role. He's saved 14 games in each of the last two seasons. He's also worked in the seventh and eighth innings for St. Louis. With Ryan Helsley struggling Gallegos has been in the closer role for the Cardinals lately. He blew the save against the Angels, but other than that has been solid this season and for most of his career.

The Angels bullpen has looked good but it's still hard to see who else other than Moore or Estevez Phil Nevin should turn to late in a close game. Andrew Wantz? Ryan Tepera? I'm really not fully sold on anyone and think an external addition would be beneficial.

You can never have enough quality bullpen arms. Gallegos has another year of control at a very reasonable $5.75 million. The Cardinals don't have to trade him but could do so.