Shohei Ohtani rumors: 3 surprise teams that should have an eye on him
By Tim Boyle
2) Shohei Ohtani rumors: Why the Cardinals could make a run at him
No team may have a better chance at acquiring Shohei Ohtani at this year’s trade deadline than the St. Louis Cardinals. Their farm system is stacked and the major-league roster has players the Angels would love to immediately add. The Cardinals have enough young players to spare in order to acquire Ohtani before he even gets to free agency. And even if they wait, they’ll have money to spend in free agency.
The Cardinals have a whole lot of starting pitchers hitting the open market next offseason. Adam Wainwright, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, and Miles Mikolas are all on expiring contracts. They’re going to need to get active in the free agent pitching market. Ohtani can fill that need while also becoming their permanent DH.
It may come as a bit of a surprise to some to see the Cardinals with the 16th-highest payroll at the moment. They’re slightly above the league average and paying their players less than the Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Colorado Rockies. They’re doing this with the reigning MVP and third-place finisher in the middle of their lineup, too.
Imagine the Cardinals with Paul Goldschmidt batting third, Ohtani batting fourth, and Nolan Arenado hitting fifth. It’s monstrous. It’s something the baseball world needs to see happen.