Cardinals Shocking Proposal Would Swap $800K Slugger For $50M Star

The Cardinals should consider a deal of this nature

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 aren't going to hand out any significant money on short-term deals this winter.

St. Louis is building for the future, and all of the moves the team makes this offseason will have that in mind. The Cardinals sadly could part ways with some veterans to help stock the farm system. St. Louis will add some players in free agency, but the moves very likely will be cheap, short-term contracts.

If the Cardinals can find the right deal to help in the short-term and the long-term, though, they should consider it. FanSided's Josh Jacobs put together a list of five hypothetical "wild" trades for the Cardinals to consider this winter. One intriguing one would bring Chicago White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. to St. Louis in exchange for Alec Burleson and Gordon Graceffo.

"Back in 2017, the Cardinals were in hot pursuit of a top international prospect named Luis Robert Jr.," Jacobs said. "They made a strong offer and were in on his market till the very end, but ended up losing out to the White Sox. While Robert would have been a huge asset to the club in recent years, the Cardinals could take a gamble and bring him to St. Louis this offseason...

"I wonder if that package could look like Alec Burleson and Gordon Graceffo. The White Sox could swap out Robert for a young bat with a ton of team control as they embark on this long rebuild, and Burleson could be a part of their next contending core. While his second half in 2024 was quite disappointing, he did put up a 125 wRC+ in the first half, and if he can figure out how to do that over the course of a season, that's an extremely valuable piece to have."

This is an intriguing idea. Robert would add some salary to the books as he will make $15 million in 2025 and then has two club options for 2026 and 2027 valued at $20 million each. He signed a six-year, $50 million deal with the White Sox and is worth it.

He's just 27 years old and launched 38 home runs and drove in 80 runs in 2023. Injuries slowed him down in 2024, but he has plenty of upside and could add more star power to the Cardinals' lineup.

It would be unfortunate to lose Burleson and Graceffo, but Robert may be worth it. Burleson is projected to make just $800 thousand in 2025 so the Cardinals would take on some salary, but Robert could be a key piece for the future.

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