An unexpected Cardinals-Braves trade that would be John Mozeliak's last

The St. Louis Cardinals loaded up on veteran starting pitchers this offseason in an attempt to fix their rotation. While those additions have had varying degrees of success so far, no pitcher has been more promising than Lance Lynn through four starts, as he has a 1-0 record, 2.18 ERA and 1.210 WHIP.

Whether Lynn can sustain that success throughout the entire season remains to be seen, but so far, he's made John Mozeliak and the Cardinals front office look smart for pursuing a reunion in the first place.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, the team's overall record has yet to match Lynn's accomplishments. St. Louis is dead last in the NL Central at 9-12. That could all change very quickly since we're only 21 games into the season. However, early MLB trade deadline projections have the Cards listed as sellers. If that occurs, it would almost assuredly mark the end of the Mozeliak era, as he promised St. Louis fans a contender following a last-place finish in 2023.

A Cardinals-Braves trade that would get John Mozeliak fired

Bleacher Report listed Lynn as a possible trade target for the Braves. If St. Louis struggles through July, it would make a lot of sense for both sides to pursue a deal. The Cardinals and Braves are in separate divisions, and Lynn is on a one-year deal with a club option, so St. Louis could receive more in return than the typical rental.

It's tough to know what Lynn could fetch back in return, but if he's pitching this well Atlanta would have to trade at least one of their top-5 prospects. The Braves farm system leaves a lot to be desired, but there are a few diamonds in the rough. ESPN highlighted former two-way phenomenon Owen Murphy, the team's No. 5 prospect, as possible trade bait at the deadline:

"Murphy was the No. 20 pick in 2022 and will likely have to improve his velocity to become an impact starter, but he came out of the gate with 6⅔ scoreless innings in High-A and was an athletic two-way player in high school," David Schoenfield wrote, while also highlighting the Braves need for starting pitching.

While that's a solid return for Lynn given what the Cardinals are paying him, it also goes against what Mozeliak promised fans last winter. Chaim Bloom is waiting in the wings for a reason.