Four Cardinals Young Studs Drawing Interest In Possible Trade To Bolster Starting Rotation

The Cardinals could end up dealing some of their young talent to bolster the rotation

It's unclear exactly what the St. Louis Cardinals will do this offseason but it is clear that they are going to be busy.

St. Louis has stated already that it is interested in adding at least three new starting pitchers this offseason. This likely will be done both through free agency as well as through trades. The Cardinals won just 71 games in 2023 so it's clear there is room for growth. 

Throughout the offseason, there is going to be plenty of chatter about what the club will do. Rumors already have been swirling about the organization's top free agent targets. While free agency will be the easiest option to add to the roster, St. Louis will be busy in the trade market and Nolan Gorman, Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Burleson all have garnered some interest, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. 

"And, finally, some of it has to be what was true at the trade deadline, what evaluators with outside teams saw in the market, and that was that power is a marketable, desirable trait -- power pitching, power bat -- and to get power, teams will want power," Goold said. "Gorman has that, and if the Cardinals are searching for power pitching, then it will take a conversation about the power coming in return. A few teams with pitchers they may trade, do have interest in Edman, Donovan, Burleson, and Gorman. So you can see how the Cardinals' roster depth is informing that interest, as well as the biggest element of them all -- the team's need."

One player who has popped up as a possible trade target for St. Louis is Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow. He certainly has injury concerns, but when he has been healthy he has shown flashes of greatness. He was steady in 2023 and compiled a 3.53 ERA in 21 starts. If St. Louis could land someone like him, a trade makes sense. There are sure to be other options available, as well. 

More MLB: Ex-Cardinals Star Hints Chances Rising To Rejoin Club In Some Capacity This Offseason