MLB Rumors: Braves bold strategy, Cardinals-Red Sox blockbuster, Rangers-Astros arms race

MLB Rumors: Cardinals could work 3-player blockbuster trade with Red Sox

What the Boston Red Sox are planning to do at the trade deadline remains truly fascinating. On one hand, the club is in last place in the AL East, an uncomfortable nine games back of first. On the other hand, they are 48-43 as of the All-Star break, well in position to make a run at a playoff berth in the second half of the season.

As such, we could learn a lot about what Boston will do — buy or sell — in the next week or so depending on how they perform against the Cubs and A’s in a pair of three-game sets.

If the Red Sox indeed end up buying, though, their needs are quite obvious. As laid out by Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required), adding to the middle infield depth with a quality bat, upgrading the bullpen, and finding another starter would all be considered priorities for Boston. And there’s actually one seller that could fill all of those needs with one trade: the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cardinals, arguably an even bigger surprise dud this season than teams like the Padres or Mets, are expected to be aggressive in setting up the future of their roster. That likely means that pending free agent starters Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty along with another soon-to-be free agent, reliever Jordan Hicks, are sure to be dealt. Meanwhile, position players like outfielders Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill, utilityman Tommy Edman, and shortstop Paul DeJong, among others, could all be moved.

If you’re a Red Sox fan, you probably notice that, when you piece all of those trade candidates together, Boston could fill all three of their needs with one deal with the Cardinals. If they were able to package any group of prospects that doesn’t include the likes of Marcelo Mayer and Ceddanee Rafaela to get Hicks, DeJong and either Montgomery or Flaherty, that would drastically upgrade the situation for the Red Sox trying to make a push for the playoffs.

Would St. Louis bite on that? It might be their best option to get the most assets for 2024 and the future of the organization, packaging a group of players like that together for a mega-blockbuster.