Insider Suggests Cardinals Should Deal $80 Million Star For Phillies Homegrown Talent

St. Louis has a highly coveted trade chip

Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Carlos Estévez (53), first base Bryce Harper (3), second base Bryson Stott (5) and catcher Garrett Stubbs (21) celebrate the National League East Division title in the locker room after defeating the Chicago Cubsat Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals will likely be active in the trade market this winter as they look to reduce payroll and fix their broken player development system.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak hasn't guaranteed that notable players will be traded. However, eliminating expensive contracts via trades is the best way to lower payroll.

That said, a St. Louis flamethrower expected to receive a monumental pay raise this offseason after a record-breaking 2024 campaign, has been suggested as a trade chip for the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It's also possible the Cardinals could consider Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott if the Phillies don't value them as much as they maybe did a year ago," Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly wrote Monday after he suggested that St. Louis right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley should be traded to Philadelphia this offseason.

Stott has batted .256 with 112 extra-base hits including 36 home runs, 168 RBIs and a .696 OPS throughout his three-year career with the Phillies.

The 27-year-old second baseman is under team control through 2027 but has a projected market value of roughly $60 million over a four-year deal, which would be too expensive for a Cardinals team looking to rebuild.

The Phillies' 2019 first-round draft pick batted .245 with 32 extra-base hits including 11 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .671 OPS in 148 games played for Philadelphia in 2024.

Considering the Cardinals already have homegrown talents Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman and rising star Thomas Saggese to man second base, it wouldn't make sense to trade Helsley for an infielder who produces the same if not less than St. Louis' best men for the job.

St. Louis needs more production from its offense in 2025, and Stott isn't consistent or powerful enough to be an intriguing trade option for the organization, especially for its single-season saves record holder.

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