3 big names on the trade block Cardinals should target

Didi Gregorius could be a cheap upgrade at shortstop over Paul DeJong

It may not be the move Cardinals fans will want the team to make, but it is a move the front office could pull off. There are a lot of teams out there that want to peruse the deep shortstop market in free agency, St. Louis included. As cool as it would be to see Trevor Story reunite with his former Colorado Rockies teammate Nolan Arenado, Story will have so many suitors in his free agency.

So if the Cardinals want to improve the middle of their infield by way of a trade, they could deal for Didi Gregorius coming off a terrible year with the Philadelphia Phillies to potentially replace Paul DeJong. Philadelphia is looking to upgrade at shortstop, but will probably do so in free agency after dealing Gregorius. So why would the Cardinals have any interest in trading for him this offseason?

Gregorius might be coming off his worst season at the plate, but he did hit for a considerably higher average when he was with the New York Yankees. With guys like Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt backing him up in the batting order, expect for him to be hitting well above the Mendoza Line if traded to St. Louis. DeJong could not even hit .200 for the Redbirds last season.

St. Louis should be a player in free agency, but they have options to explore on the trade market.