Pair Of Cardinals Studs Mentioned As Possible Trade Candidates Despite Strong Seasons

Could the Cardinals make another major trade this offseason?

The St. Louis Cardinals will have some tough decisions to make in the not-so-distant future. 

St. Louis already has started to clear up its logjam in the outfield by trading away veteran Tyler O'Neill to the Boston Red Sox earlier this offseason. There likely will be a few more moves coming for the Cardinals before the 2024 season rolls around.

The Cardinals are expected to have Masyn Winn at the big-league level next year which could lead to more roster questions. It's unclear what St. Louis will do, but the Belleville News-Democrats' Jeff Jones suggested a trade could be coming involving either Tommy Edman or Brendan Donovan.

"The roadblock up the middle will resolve itself one way or another," Jones said. "Edman’s control clock is ticking, and Donovan’s flexibility and reliability make him an appealing target. There are arguments for trading either; it will be very difficult to keep both.

"Winn’s permanent arrival, when it comes, will put the roster squeeze in motion. This Cardinals regime has not traded off significant position players with team control in season, so perhaps a deal won’t come until next winter, but a deal will come in some form or fashion. If pressed for a prediction, lean slightly toward a deal of Donovan being more likely, given the team’s obvious trust of Edman in any number of scenarios."

If Winn takes over the shortstop position permanently, it would lead to a lack of playing time elsewhere. Edman may see a lot of time in center field, but there still is a surplus of outfielders in St. Louis. Second base likely will be manned by Donovan or Nolan Gorman, but Edman could see time there as well. 

St. Louis has a surplus of young, offensive talent so it wouldn't be too surprising to see another deal happen this offseason.

More MLB: Cardinals Pursuing Bullpen Help; Ex-Red Sox All-Star Could Be Intriguing Bounce-Back Candidate