4 Cardinals players who could be traded before Opening Day

1. Tink Hence could be part of the next Cardinals blockbuster trade

The Cardinals figure to be done making moves this offseason, but John Mozeilak will regret it if he doesn't try and continue to improve the rotation. It's definitely better than it was, and the Cardinals will get a ton of innings from their starters, but it's hard to find much quality here outside of Gray.

Using a player like Carlson who should have value and a top prospect like Tink Hence could get a team like the White Sox to listen on a Dylan Cease trade. Hence is the Cardinals' best pitching prospect, second-ranked prospect overall, and MLB Pipeline's 42nd-ranked prospect overall. Parting with him would not be easy, but if they can get a controllable arm like Cease or perhaps Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins, they'd be foolish to not pull the trigger.

Hence is a good enough prospect to headline a deal for a superstar who can really help the rotation. If the Cardinals add an ace to pair with Sonny Gray at the top of their rotation and their innings eaters at the bottom, suddenly their rotation should be good enough to make them the NL Central favorites.

If the Cardinals want to win with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado without spending nine figures on a free agent like Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, this is how that'd be accomplished. Trade Hence for a pitcher who can help lead their rotation for the next couple of seasons alongside Gray. It might hurt in the future, but if they're a win-now team, it's time for John Mozeilak to act like it.