Cardinals-Dodgers Latest Talk ‘Has The Makings Of Blockbuster Trade’
The St. Louis Cardinals are in a favorable position ahead of Tuesday’s Major League Baseball Trade Deadline.
The Cardinals have two starting pitchers to deal — Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty — and will leverage those arms to acquire as much young pitching as possible.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the largest pool of pitching prospects, most of whom already are in the upper levels of the minors or have made their big-league debuts.
Montgomery and Flaherty are the two prizes the Cardinals are willing to deal but the Dodgers reportedly want quite a bit more for some of their top arms.
“I’m hearing the conversations about (Nolan) Arenado started when the Dodgers expressed interest in either Jack Flaherty or Jordan Montgomery,” The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote Friday. “When the Cardinals started asking for Los Angeles’ top pitching prospects in return, the Dodgers responded that the only way they’d trade them is if it were in a package for the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner.”
The Cardinals' rentals have serious trade value but the addition of Arenado could covet a franchise-altering return.
“The deal would have to be headlined by at least one of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects -- Bobby Miller and/or Emmet Sheehan -- and would need to include some combination of pitchers Gavin Stone, Michael Grove and/or Ryan Pepiot,” Bowden continued. “The Cardinals would be looking for at least three young starters. To help balance out the finances, the Dodgers would ask the Cardinals to take Max Muncy back in the trade and also would insist on acquiring either Flaherty or Montgomery. In other words, this has the makings of a blockbuster trade. Not sure if anything will materialize, but it’s a fun potential trade to monitor.”
Miller would likely be the top player coming from Los Angeles, who has graduated from being a top prospect and is 6-2 with a 4.37 ERA, 59-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .241 batting average against and 1.19 WHIP in 59 2/3 innings this season.
If he were out of the question, Stone (No. 4 Dodgers' prospect according to MLB Pipeline) Sheehan (No. 6 prospect), Pepiot (No. 7 prospect) and Grove -- also elevated from prospect status -- would all be strong targets.
The involvement of Arenado in the trade still remains highly unlikely. While it would make for a crazier deadline, the Cardinals likely will settle for a smaller package for Montgomery and/or Flaherty.
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