A Cardinals-Mariners trade to let Seattle take full control of the AL West

The St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners are two teams heading in opposite directions.

The Mariners are staking their claim as the team to beat in the AL West, while the Cardinals look to be headed towards a rebuild of sorts, not unlike that of the New York Yankees in 2016.

Paul Goldschmidt may be starting to heat up. And if the Cardinals are sellers again at the deadline, he could be rebuilding his trade value. The Mariners could certainly use an upgrade at first base.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report predicted that the Mariners could be looking for a first baseman and that the Cardinals might end up being sellers again, with Goldschmidt being a potential trade piece.

A potential Cardinals-Mariners Paul Goldschmidt trade

Goldschmidt has struggled to start the season, hitting just .199 midway through the month of May, so it may be hard for the Cardinals to get a significant return for him, especially with his contract expiring at the end of the year.

Still, the Mariners could use him if he heats up, and here is what a potential trade might look like.

Cardinals will target Mariners young pitching in any trade for Paul Goldschmidt

Granted, this wouldn't be a major package for the Cardinals, but it could help them set things up for the next few seasons. Goldschmidt in all likelihood will not be returning to the Cardinals in 2025.

While the Cardinals' starting rotation has performed better than expected, they could still use a controllable piece. Bryan Woo provides an electric fastball and swing-and-miss capability, as well as years of team control.

The Cardinals only have Sonny Gray under contract beyond 2025 in their rotation. The only caveat with Woo is that St. Louis would likely have to add to the trade package on their end in order to acquire him, as he is a coveted young pitcher for the Mariners.

At this point, the Cardinals need to build around their young players such as Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, and Brendan Donovan. As for the Mariners, Goldschmidt would give them somebody who is a solid veteran leader in the clubhouse, which will benefit Seattle's young stars.

Goldschmidt is a former MVP, and even with no-trade protection, it would make sense for him to end up somewhere he has a better chance of winning, especially in the latter stages of his career.

This could give the Mariners an upgrade offensively and they could have Goldschmidt and Ty France split time between first base and DH duties. It would also allow them to trade from their starting pitching depth.

The Cardinals would be set up for the future while the Mariners would be able to take full control of the AL West by the time the trade deadline comes around.