Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Outfielder Reportedly Going To Be 'Likely Trade Chip' To Bolster Rotation

St. Louis will need to trade from their deep outfield group

Scott Neville

Cardinals Outfielder Reportedly Going To Be 'Likely Trade Chip' To Bolster Rotation
Cardinals Outfielder Reportedly Going To Be 'Likely Trade Chip' To Bolster Rotation /
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The St. Louis Cardinal have a tough task this offseason after a last-place finish in the National League Central.

The organization has set out to rebuild the rotation with at least three new impact starters.

Given the Cardinals' history of modest spending, it's unlikely that free agency will be the path used to acquire all three hurlers. With that said, a trade for a quality starter is expected at some point this winter, and St. Louis has a pretty clear idea of who will be on the trade block.

"Dylan Carlson is a likely trade chip this winter, and perhaps Alec Burleson as well, though the Cardinals like Burleson’s bat-to-ball skills from the left side," The Athletic's Katie Woo wrote Tuesday. "Tyler O’Neill’s perceived trade value has never been lower, but if there’s a suitor for the oft-injured outfielder, St. Louis will jump on it. There are also decisions to be made about players like Juan Yepez and Luken Baker, who are bat-first players facing significant blocks at the big-league level."

Carlson hit .219 with 14 extra-base hits including five home runs, 27 RBIs and a .651 OPS (79 OPS+) in 76 games. The 24-year-old had a down year comparatively to his first two full seasons and could be on the outside of a highly competitive outfield group. He's also a controllable young player that could be coveted by teams with a surplus of young pitching such as the Miami Marlins and Cleveland Guardians.

O'Neill seems like a lock to be traded at this point as St. Louis has leaned into the youth movement and he's only under contract through 2024. 

The Cardinals certainly would be wise to move Baker after his 33-home run season with Triple-A Memphis -- though they could wait another year with the idea of Baker supplanting Paul Goldschmidt at first base in 2025. 

Yepez is a much-needed depth player but would be available should a team with pitching have interest. 

The Cardinals have a long list of intriguing position players who are good enough to return a solid starter via trade. The best part is that they can keep all everyday starters should they choose to do so while bringing in an impact arm. 

The trade market likely won't heat up until December but rumors will continue to fly until then.

More MLB: Cardinals 'Plan To Pursue' All-Star Starter Among Other Impact Hurlers

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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