Cardinals: 3 players who weren’t traded at the deadline, but will be this offseason
By Mark Powell
The St. Louis Cardinals were active at the trade deadline, but still held onto some potential assets who were on the block. Could those same players be dealt this offseason?
John Mozeliak and the Cardinals prioritized acquiring young pitching at the trade deadline, and did just that thanks to trades involving Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Jordan Hicks, Paul DeJong and more. St. Louis now has starting pitching depth throughout their minor-league levels, though it remains to be seen exactly how that depth will translate into major-league success.
Still, St. Louis’s outfield roadblock remains. Many of the Cardinals best young players — including Jordan Walker and Lars Nootbaar — are outfielders. This surplus gives Mozeliak an advantage should he choose to use it.
Cardinals players to trade this offseason: Dylan Carlson
The Cardinals and Yankees nearly agreed to a last-minute deal for Dylan Carlson, but St. Louis didn’t like the prospect package New York offered for the 24-year-old outfielder. Carlson has another year left on his deal, so there was no reason for the Cards to trade him with such urgency. Now, surely, they would have received a decent prospect package for him had they found a suitor, and had Carlson performed up to par this season.
Sadly, Dylan didn’t hold up his end of the bargain, and a player St. Louis felt uncomfortable including in a trade for Juan Soto fell short of expectations. While the Cardinals didn’t deal Carlson this time around, they could be persuaded to do so at the winter meetings or later this offseason if the outfield market is lacking. Carlson has potential, that much is clear. He’s a former top prospect who hasn’t put it all together. A fresh start could do him some good, and perhaps help Mozeliak acquire that young starting pitcher he’s looking for.