A Shortstop Trade is Imminent

A trade for a shortstop is imminent when it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s not a question of if anymore but when. It’s also a question of which team.
Sep 18, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (left) is unable to make the tag in time as St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holiday (right) slides into second base for a double during the fifth inning at Coors Field. Image Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
At this point, just about everyone knows that Stephen Drew is the main free agent at the position this offseason but the Cards would be giving up a draft pick in order to get him. The question that the front office has to be asking themselves: is it worth it?

St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer/columnist Rick Hummel writes:

"National League teams can’t afford to have two outs in a row at the bottom of the lineup — the Cardinals’ pitchers don’t hit very well either — so the club will have to look outside the organization to fill the shortstop position for next season and presumably beyond. The Cardinals invested heavily in shortstops in the June draft, but the earliest one could expect any fruition would seem to be three years."

The Cardinals decided to go with high school senior Oscar Mercado with their second round pick.

What do the Colorado Rockies want for Troy Tulowitzki? Hummel writes:

"The Rockies would want a top-flight young pitcher, a lefthanded-hitting first baseman/outfielder and another prospect for him and the Cardinals probably could comply in each category, but does the reward outweigh the risk?"

Would it be worth it given his injury history? I would certainly hope so. The Cardinals would have to likely send over Matt Adams, who could have some repeated seasons of 50 home runs with the thin air in Denver.

Also mentioned are Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers, and Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox.