MLB Rumors: Did Cardinals signal their top trade chip with latest lineup?

The latest St. Louis Cardinals starting lineup could be a signal of which player headlines the team’s top MLB rumors this summer.

Juan Soto isn’t on the St. Louis Cardinals for a couple of reasons. Allegedly, one is because of those previous MLB rumors claiming the team refused to trade Dylan Carlson to the Washington Nationals last year.

The latest Cardinals lineup could signal a change of heart. Carlson is back from the IL, but Tommy Edman will be sticking as the club’s starting center fielder.

June is the first leg of the MLB rumors season which is the time to start drawing conclusions from every decision a team may make.

Carlson has gotten off to a weak start this year, slashing .225/.286/.343 in his first 112 plate appearances. He has only a pair of home runs and 12 RBI in those opportunities.

Edman, who has spent much of his career flying all over the field defensively, hasn’t been all that much better. A .246/.306/.417 slash line with six home runs still outranks what Carlson has produced. The decision may, however, have to do as much with defense as it does with the offensive production.

MLB rumors: The Cardinals may not have as great of a need to keep Dylan Carlson as they once did

As skipper Oli Marmol explained, keeping Edman in center field has a lot to do with improving the defense. He has impressed Marmol in his brief time covering the position in Carlson’s absence.

“What he has shown in center field has been pretty darn impressive,” Marmol said. “If you look at our outfield defense this year, the reality is it hasn’t been very good. We’ve got time without the guys we were planning on having out there being out there.”

The versatility of Edman plus his noted speed on the base paths will make him an asset for the Cardinals to use in a variety of ways.

Carlson, meanwhile, has yet to fully achieve the expectations Cardinals fans have for him. Outside of his impressive 2021 season which saw him end the year third in the National League Rookie of the Year vote, Carlson has been more hype than actual execution.

The Cardinals will be at the center of many MLB rumors over the next several weeks. Can they dig themselves out of the hole they’re currently in or will they be major sellers with pieces like Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, and Paul DeJong on the move?

Due to his age, 24, Carlson is someone the Cardinals could both build with or look to move in a trade which could set them up for next season. He’s young enough to draw the attention of any ball club. In fact, a team in need of a center fielder might even be willing to take on a bad contract like the one owed to Steven Matz for a chance to get Carlson for cheap.

Cardinals played right field for the Cardinals in his return to action on Friday. In the absence of Lars Nootbaar, it might be where he stays. But what happens when Nootbaar is back? Before Carlson loses all trade value, St. Louis might want to make the most of him rather than let the young outfielder waste away as a part-time or bench player.