Red Sox Pitcher Linked To Cardinals As Possible Offseason Trade Candidate

Should the Cardinals actually consider a trade for the young Red Sox hurler?

The St. Louis Cardinals arguably have been the most active team in baseball so far this offseason. 

St. Louis entered the offseason saying it wanted to add three starting pitchers to the rotation and already have done exactly that. The Cardinals began the offseason by bringing Lance Lynn back into the fold, signed Kyle Gibson, and now reportedly have landed All-Star Sonny Gray. 

The Cardinals may be done adding starters but it also wouldn't be too surprising to see the club make another move for the right price. The Athletic's Jim Bowden compiled a list of possible trade targets for the Cardinals and one name that stood out is Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck. 

"Trade targets: Jesús Luzardo, Corbin Burnes, Tyler Glasnow, Shane Bieber, José Berríos, Dylan Cease, Christian Javier, Braxton Garrett, Tanner Houck, Bryce Miller, and Emerson Hancock" Bowden said. "The Cardinals' top offseason priority is to improve their rotation and bullpen, and they're off to a fast start, inking Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to one-year contracts as their fourth and fifth starters...They still need to make significant upgrades to their pitching staff if they plan on being legitimate contenders in 2024." 

Houck was floated as a trade candidate for the Cardinals early on in the 2023 season so it isn't too surprising to see his name pop up again. He is just 27 years old and is a four-year veteran of Boston. His role hasn't been stable and has seen time as a starter and reliever but he has shown flashes in both roles. Houck has a career 3.86 ERA in 74 games and has plenty of upside. Boston needs help in the middle infield and also in the starting rotation. St. Louis seemingly has a surplus of players who can man the middle infield positions. Maybe the two sides could come together on a deal this offseason.

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