Potential Cardinals trade target's asking price just went down

Don't look now, but here come the St. Louis Cardinals. Their resurgence after a less-than-stellar start to the 2024 MLB campaign has changed the calculus ahead of this year's trade deadline on July 30.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has stated the club will be in "shop mode" during St. Louis' annual Blogger Day at Busch Stadium. Moreover, he specified that the front office is working to improve the roster, even looking for "small wins."

Mozeliak seems to have a vision in mind. He cited the desire to add a backend rotational innings eater and a right-handed batter who could occasionally play centerfield. 

Recent intel from The Athletic's Katie Woo aligns with Mozeliak's comments. The former reported that the Cards brass is debating "to which degree they buy" as we approach the deadline ($). Rather than contemplating whether or not they should be customers or sellers, St. Louis appears ready to make a move.

One potential target who matches the criteria Mozeliak is looking for is Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jiménez. And on Sunday, the 27-year-old slugger experienced what appeared to be a setback in his first game returning from a left hamstring injury. Could that present a buy-low opportunity for the Cardinals?

Potential Cardinals trade target Eloy Jiménez's asking price just went down

Jiménez was rounding second base gingerly second base in Chicago's 11-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers:

As you can see, Jiménez struggled to run and looked visibly hampered. So, the White Sox responded accordingly by removing him from the outfield for Monday's contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers -- he will be the designated hitter. However, it is encouraging that he didn't land back on the IL, suggesting he avoided a devastating outcome.

Regardless, staying healthy has been an issue for the oft-injured Jiménez. He has appeared in 84 games or less in three of his first five seasons in the majors, maxing out at 122 as a rookie. Nonetheless, that may bring down his asking price.

Entering the final year guaranteed year of his contract with the White Sox, Jiménez is a clear-cut candidate to get dealt in the coming weeks. Chicago has a club option for 2025 and 2026 -- each has a $3 million buyout option.

Injury history aside, Jiménez could benefit from a change of scenery, and all signs point toward a fire sale for the White Sox. Meanwhile, the Cardinals could benefit from his presence, giving them an impact hitter who could be a centerfielder if needed.

Jiménez has a career .271/.321/.478 slash line, hitting double-digit home runs every season despite being out of the lineup so often. He offers massive upside for a Cardinals group needing offensive production, evidenced by their -31 run differential.