Cardinals Advised To 'Sell High' On $800K Breakout Outfielder

St. Louis could be very busy in the trade market

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly looked a little different than expected in 2024.

The Cardinals entered the season expecting their starting outfield alignment to be something along the lines of Tommy Edman in center field, Jordan Walker in right field, and Lars Nootbaar in left. In this scenario, Dylan Carlson would've been a depth piece off the bench.

There were question marks because the Cardinals seemingly had too many capable outfielders.

Well, things changed.

Injuries plagued the Cardinals from even before the season began. The Cardinals never could get healthy and seemingly never had the whole crew together. Eventually, Edman and Carlson were both traded and Walker bounced between the big leagues and the minor leagues.

One bright spot this season was the play of young outfielder Michael Siani. He took over center field duties and proved to be essential due to his incredible defensive play. Now, the offseason is here, and the team is going to have to make some tough decisions. Because of this, FanSided's Thomas Gauvain suggested that the Cardinals should "sell high" on Siani.

"When the Cardinals claimed outfielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds in September of 2023, the plan was never for him to ascend and be the team's starting center fielder," Gauvain said. "He profiled best as a defensive-minded fourth outfielder. When Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson, the team's presumptive center field options for 2024, went down with injuries to start the year, Siani was thrust into a starting role this year. In 334 plate appearances, Siani slashed .228/.285/.285 on the year for a wRC+ of 64...

"Despite his offensive shortcomings, center fielder Michael Siani has a decent amount of trade value. He won't net a top-100 prospect, but he could be packaged with someone else to bring back a more valuable player. Also, with Victor Scott II being the center fielder of the future, Michael Siani may not have a spot on the team down the road. Siani's trade value will never be higher than it is right now, and he isn't in the organization's plans for the future."

Could a deal be on the way?

More MLB: Cardinals Told To Move On From $87.5 Million Star In Winter Trade