Cardinals: 5 best-case scenario replacements for Yadier Molina
By Tim Boyle
2) Cardinals: A Phillies collapse could make them a destination for J.T. Realmuto
The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t out of the playoff race thanks to an impressive winning streak after firing Joe Girardi. Catcher J.T. Realmuto was meant to be a core member of the club but with him struggling early and the team having too many holes to be a favorite to win anything this year, one has to wonder if he could be on the trade block.
The Phillies have gotten a lot from backup catcher Garrett Stubbs and have a prospect Logan O’Hoppe on the farm they would like to see take over behind the plate eventually. Selling Realmuto to the Cardinals would admit defeat in 2022. So, if you’re rooting hard for the Cardinals, you might want to also root hard against whoever plays the Phillies.
A little bit of salary relief for the Phillies might be tempting enough for them to make such a major move. Convincing them to have buyer’s regret with Realmuto would be the key component to getting a deal done. If that doesn’t work, maybe St. Louis convinces them to sell Stubbs at his highest value.
3) Cardinals: Max Stassi is another salary dump-type player to target
Max Stassi has made a career out of being essentially a third-string catcher. A weak hitter throughout most of his career, he actually put on a decent power display for the Los Angeles Angels last year when given an opportunity to play a little more often.
Stassi belted 13 home runs in only 319 trips to the plate and could replicate those numbers in 2022. He’s slashing similarly to the .241/.326/.426 he finished last season with. Could he be a decent enough addition for the Cardinals to get through the rest of the year?
Stassi has a surprisingly high contract with $7 million in each of the next two seasons followed by another $7.5 million in 2025. Depending on how the Angels view themselves, he could be someone they deal away to get out from under what looks to be an overpay for a part-time catcher.