2 Cardinals trade rumors we hope are true, 1 we hope doesn’t happen

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the biggest sellers at this year’s MLB trade deadline, but more moves could be on the horizon on Aug. 1.

The St. Louis Cardinals‘ 2023 season had not gone the way that many had expected. What has that resulted in? Well, the former NL Central powerhouse became sellers ahead of the trade deadline for the first time in a long time.

Thus far, the Cardinals have capitalized in terms of getting returns to build for the future. They traded closer Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays in return for right-handed pitchers Sem Robberese and Adam Kloffenstein. They also dealt starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton to the Texas Rangers for left-handed pitcher John King and prospects Tekoah Roby and Thomas Saggese.

While those were big moves for the Cardinals and help their outlook for the future, there are still moves that can be made on Aug. 1, the day of the trade deadline. But who could go?

Cardinals trade rumors: Trade Dylan Carlson

This year’s trade deadline is going to be a weird one, as there are still so many teams in postseason contention at this point. But one common theme is the need for outfield help, and there not being many great options. Cody Bellinger was taken off the market by the Chicago Cubs, and Juan Soto being dealt by the San Diego Padres felt like a pipe dream more than a reality.

With Randal Grichuk getting traded to the Los Angeles Angels by the Colorado Rockies, the options are slim. The Cardinals have a couple of options they could deal, but may not get much in return for them. Either way, Dylan Carlson is a name that was brought up in trade rumors.

Carlson doesn’t exactly provide the bat that teams are looking for. After all, he’s batting just. 230 on the year, holds a meager .673 OPS and knocked in just 24 runs in 69 games as of this writing. We should point out that he did deal with an ankle injury.

One common trade link for Carlson has been the New York Yankees, who have a revolving door at left field and need an everyday starter. The Yankees have also been linked to Tyler O’Neill.

The Cardinals have their starting outfield consisting of Lars Nootbaar and top prospect Jordan Walker. Perhaps Carlson can succeed elsewhere with more playing time. And, most importantly, the Cardinals could get some sort of a return. Sure, it won’t be like the returns they received for Hicks and Montgomery, but it’s better than nothing.