An unthinkable Cardinals-Cubs blockbuster to get St. Louis to contender status

There is no way it happens, but what if it did? The Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals do not like each other. In fact, they kind of hate each other, which is great, because who doesn't love passion? Better yet, who doesn't love a blockbuster trade proposal? This one I cooked up between the Cubbies and Redbirds. By no means is it going to happen, but it could help both teams out a ton.

For St. Louis, it would be about loading up en route to a playoff push. The Cardinals may not catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, but look to be one of the three wild card teams in the Senior Circuit this year. As for Chicago, the Cubs may need to hit the reset button yet again. They may need to tear it down to the studs and try again because whatever they have in place is simply not working.

Here is a trade I am proposing the Cardinals and Cubs could make to set the baseball world on fire!

St. Louis would get Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon in exchange for Jordan Walker a top-10 prospect in left-hander Cooper Hjerpe (No. 7) and a top-20 prospect in infielder Cesar Prieto (No. 18). The big piece coming Chicago's way would obviously be Walker, while St. Louis would get maybe a year and change with Bellinger and two-plus years with Taillon. This trade would create separation.

Again, this trade is never going to happen, but what franchise would be the one to say no first?

A Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals trade to set all of baseball ablaze

In a way, I think the Cubs are way more likely to say no than the Cardinals in this trade. Yes, the Cardinals would be picking up a former NL MVP in Bellinger and a proven starter in Taillon, but I think the player option Bellinger has is a sticking point. If he plays well down the stretch, he will opt out for more money and could leave St. Louis. If he stinks, then the Cardinals would be on the hook in 2025.

While I would assume that St. Louis would understand that moving on from Walker in this scenario is the price of doing business, maybe they are giving up too much to Chicago for potentially a rental in Bellinger and an inconsistent starter in Taillon? There are a lot of moving pieces here, which only further complicates things. Hjerpe and Prieto factor into the equation as well, so think about that!

Ultimately, I think the thought of Walker becoming a superstar in Chicago would make St. Louis sick. As for the Cubs, I think they could stomach Bellinger thriving in St. Louis for a year and change, but getting mowed down by Taillon for two-plus years could be a different story. Even if the Cardinals make this trade, there are still no guarantees that they even get out of the Wild Card round this year.

Trading in-division is never easy, but it is a fun thought exercise to do, even though it will not happen.