Pair Of Young Padres Hurlers Seen As Possible Trade Candidates for Cardinals

St. Louis could still use another hurler and two Padres starters could be options

The St. Louis Cardinals already have improved the starting rotation this offseason but it wouldn't be too surprising to see another move happen.

St. Louis' rotation already is in a much better place. The Cardinals added Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn early in the offseason and haven't added any more depth to the rotation to this point.

There's a strong possibility that St. Louis will enter Spring Training with the rotation it currently has. While this is the case, the club still has been mentioned in trade rumors for starters. 

If St. Louis adds another hurler, it likely would be through a trade and probably wouldn't be a massive shakeup.

One possible deal that has been floated for St. Louis as a win-win option is a trade of Alec Burleson to the San Diego Padres for either Randy Vásquez or Jhony Brito, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Shusterman. 

"San Diego Padres acquire (first baseman/outfielder) Alec Burleson from St. Louis Cardinals for (right-handed pitcher) Randy Vásquez (right-handed pitcher) Jhony Brito," Shusterman said. "Left field remains a massive hole for the Padres to address after trading away Juan Soto. While no one can replace a generational talent like Soto, the Padres currently rank 30th in FanGraph's projected leftfield production — not an encouraging mark for a team desperate to bounce back after such a disappointing 2023...

"While neither (Trevor Larnach) nor Burleson has found extended MLB success, each has hit well in the upper minors and offers elements to their offensive profiles that could blossom in the big leagues if given enough playing time. On the other side, St. Louis has been aggressively pursuing pitching at all levels since last year's trade deadline, while Minnesota could use some controllable young pitching to help backfill Sonny Gray's departure in free agency."

San Diego acquired both Brito and Vásquez from the New York Yankees earlier this offseason in the blockbuster deal centered around Soto. Neither has extensive big-league experience, but both showed flashes in New York.

Why not take a chance on a young hurler if either is available?

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