Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Have Intriguing Odds To Land Three-Time MVP In Blockbuster Trade

Could St. Louis add to an already potent lineup?

Scott Neville

Cardinals Have Intriguing Odds To Land Three-Time MVP In Blockbuster Trade
Cardinals Have Intriguing Odds To Land Three-Time MVP In Blockbuster Trade /
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The St. Louis Cardinals are set to make some notable changes this offseason after a miserable year.

One thing is clear, a shakeup is both needed and expected. St. Louis plans to add at least three new starters this winter and likely will increase its budget. However, the rotation might not be the only area the organization invests in.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is expected to be on the trade block this winter and could become the Cardinals' latest flashy pickup. 

The Cardinals have +1600 odds (6.25%) to land Trout this winter according to BetOnline's Sportsbook, which ranks eighth among big-league teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are the only teams above St. Louis. The Chicago Cubs have the same odds to acquire the three-time MVP.

Trout hit .263 with 33 extra-base hits including 18 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .858 OPS (130 OPS+) in 82 games this season. The 32-year-old would be a fantastic addition to the roster but would come at a substantial cost. Not only would it take top prospects to acquire Trout but the eleven-time All-Star still has seven years remaining on his 12-year, $426.5 million contract.

In a vacuum, the addition of Trout would make any roster substantially better. However, the Cardinals need to invest just about every ounce of their resources into the aforementioned ailing pitching staff.

There's no realistic world where St. Louis would drastically improve the rotation and acquire Trout.

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox."  After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu