Cardinals: 3 trade deadline surprises that could await St. Louis front office
By Tim Boyle
2) Cardinals trade deadline surprise: A shortstop falling into their laps
Tommy Edman has moved over from second base to shortstop this season and given the Cardinals a far more reliable option at the position than Paul DeJong ever has. However, the Cardinals may still prefer to upgrade the shortstop position with a midseason trade and put Edman back at second base.
Luckily for them, most of the best teams in baseball are pretty secure at this spot. This could leave the Cardinals chasing after a position of need without too many other suitors to try and outbid them.
There is certainly a wide range of shortstop options out there. Jose Iglesias of the Colorado Rockies is the steady defender who won’t hit a lot of home runs. Amed Rosario of the Cleveland Guardians has been overtaken by Andres Gimenez at the position and could end up as a trade candidate for them even as they look to buy players. There’s also Miguel Rojas of the Miami Marlins whose 2022 season hasn’t gone too well but he has been a decent hitter for average in the past.
It’s also not impossible for a team to suddenly go on a massive losing streak and suddenly become sellers. Didi Gregorius of the Philadelphia Phillies or Brandon Crawford of the San Francisco Giants might be a pair of names to watch.
Although none of these names might excite Cardinals fans too much, a small number of good teams needing a guy for the position could mean the cost isn’t so high.