Cardinals Reportedly Discussed Trades For Multiple Budding Stars Ahead Of Trade Deadline

St. Louis reportedly considered deals for potential budding stars

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly had a surprising trade deadline.

St. Louis entered the 2023 campaign widely expected to finish atop the National League Central standings and yet found themselves in an unfamiliar position at the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline. For the first time in a while, the Cardinals were forced to be sellers ahead of the August 1 trade deadline because of inconsistent play this season.

The Cardinals are in last place in the National League Central with an abysmal 47-61 record and unloaded veterans about to hit free agency as the club looked to recoup prospects. St. Louis traded away pitchers Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks, and shortstop Paul DeJong to name a few players now elsewhere. 

Although this is the case and the Cardinals were sellers, the club did reportedly consider dealing for a few intriguing pitchers in Seattle Mariners hurler Logan Gilbert and Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease ahead of the deadline, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. 

"The Cardinals did approach teams about starters with multiple years of control, and that would have included at the minimum talks with Seattle about at least Logan Gilbert and the White Sox, who measured interest in Dylan Cease," Goold said. "There were also discussions with contending teams that involved young starters."

Ultimately the Cardinals didn't make a deal for either and Gilbert and Cease remained with their respective teams. The price for controllable starting pitching was exceptionally high and Gilbert and Cease likely would have taken monumental trade packages as both have shown great promise. Cease finished in second place in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022 and Gilbert is just 26 years old and has shown star potential himself. 

Both Gilbert and Cease could be stars for years to come so acquiring either would have been great for the Cardinals, but a move didn't make sense. Although this is the case, St. Louis will be looking to fill three starting rotation spots this upcoming offseason so a trade certainly could happen then.

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