A Braves-Cardinals trade to push Marcell Ozuna out the door

The Atlanta Braves should be one of the more active teams at the MLB Trade Deadline, but could they make a deal with a potential surprise seller in the Cardinals?

We’ve already floated a potential trade idea to send Tyler O’Neill to Atlanta. While O’Neill had his issues with Oli Marmol early in the season, it seems things have settled in the Cardinals clubhouse. O’Neill remains a vital part of St. Louis’ future.

Dylan Carlson, while valued as a former top prospect, could struggle for playing time in a crowded St. Louis outfield. What the Cardinals do need is pitching. The Braves have plenty of that, but need a left fielder. It’s a match made in heaven.

Carlson is primarily a right fielder and center fielder — that should be noted. But, Atlanta could easily pull an outfield shuffle, moving either Acuña or Michael Harris II to left if necessary.

MLB Rumors: What a Braves-Cardinals trade for Dylan Carlson would look like

We floated a Dylan Carlson trade idea past MLB insider Robert Murray just a few weeks ago, and he had this to say: “I don’t see this trade happening. The Cardinals like Carlson and have invested a lot of time and resources in him. Trading him now would represent selling low on him, which is not something I expect them to do.”

Nonetheless, selling high on Carlson doesn’t seem like an option, either. The time to do that would have been years ago. Carlson was mentioned in Juan Soto trade talks, per various reports, but was not dealt. What would it take for Atlanta to pry him loose?

Atlanta’s pitching depth is solid, and this one hurts a bit on both sides.

Carlson is a former top outfield prospect, but Jordan Walker should fill right in eventually. Soroka is a former All-Star, but has struggled mightily with injuries since then. He’s on the verge of a comeback, and St. Louis shouldn’t complain about that. Dodd was a spring training storyline and a potential back-end starting pitcher. He could make his Cards debut right away.

Atlanta gets their starting outfielder, and a decent one at that. St. Louis adds two starting-caliber pitchers to their rotation. It’s a win-win for two teams that need to spread out their roster depth.