First pitch: 3 best Alek Manoah trade destinations and the risk that comes with him

St. Louis Cardinals could trade for Alek Manoah

The Cardinals-Blue Jays trade connection was fired up again last season when closer Jordan Hicks was sent to Toronto at the MLB trade deadline. That set the tone for what is the most discussed destination when Manoah's name is mentioned.

It's no secret that the Cardinals need pitching and that John Mozeliak is out there looking for it, whether it comes through free agency or trades. Pitching was an area where the Cardinals fell woefully short in 2023, with their starters combining for a minus-3.9 bWAR, ranking 28th out of MLB's 30 squads.

With that in mind, Mozeliak tipped his hand that St. Louis is looking for "at least two starters" while also basically laying out his offseason plan during this week's GM meetings in Scottsdale.

"I think for us, our checklist is starter, starter, and then let's see what we look like,” Mozeliak said. “We do have some position-player talent and depth there. So, we also do want to explore the trade market just in case we aren't successful on the [free-agent market]."

That checklist completion could start with Manoah, someone who has been the subject of a lot of specualtion and potential deals in the offseason. There's a lot of smoke around St. Louis and Toronto with this deal, but will there actually be a fire?