11 potential matches for the St. Louis Cardinals' latest deadline need

The Rentals

Rentals for the 2025 season may not be top of the Cardinals priority, but it would allow them to still cash in on some potential trade value and see if they can catch lightning in a bottle on the way to become playoff-relevant again. The Cubs do not appear to be going away anytime soon, so a Wild Card spot may be the most likely option for the Cardinals to make the postseason, and a revamped lineup with a righty bat could help to push that offense to at least a league-average level.

Most of the guys on the list are free agents at year's end, and a couple may have options attached to them, but they are unlikely to be picked up, either by the team or the player. The rental list is full of outfielders or DH options since those appear to be the biggest areas of need when looking at where a right-handed bat could fit.

Trey Mancini

The only guy on this list who is unattached to a team seems like an extremely easy and low-cost move that the Cardinals could try with minimal risk beyond jettisoning someone off of the 40-man roster. Trey Mancini opted out of his minor-league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks after putting up stellar numbers with their Triple-A affiliate. In 74 minor league games, Mancini was hitting .306 with 16 homers in his first professional season since 2023.

Mancini was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2020 but completed treatment that year and returned to the majors in 2021. His last full season was 2022, and Mancini hit 18 homers between Baltimore and Houston. He also does not have the splits of a strict platoon hitter for his career, putting up a nearly identical .774 and .777 OPS against righties and lefties, respectively. He has also had a strikeout rate on the higher side, sitting near 25% for his career, but he has been above average by measure of WRC+ in every full season except 2018, but he still managed to hit 24 homers that year.

Mancini would cost very little in terms of financial commitment and may be looking for a guaranteed MLB deal after opting out of his minor league pact. The Cardinals would have to clear a 40-man roster spot if they were to sign Mancini and promote him to the big league roster.

Luis Robert Jr.

Robert came into the league in 2020 as the league's most exciting player and capitalized on his #6 prospect ranking in the following season before an injury ended the year. The hip flexor tear ended a year where Robert was hitting .338 with 13 homers in 68 games. He followed up the injury with another strong yet short 98-game year, where he hit .284. His 2022 season was what the experts expected when Robert was breaking in with the White Sox, as the then-25-year-old hit 38 homers and stole 20 bases in his first full season.

That season has also been best of Robert's career, as the past two years have been forgetful for the outfielder. Last year, the Cuban outfielder had a career-high 33.2% strikeout rate and saw his batting average drop to .224 while hitting 14 homers in 100 games. He missed games again due to the surgically repaired hip. The current season has not done much to inspire confidence that the former top prospect was turning a corner. Robert, just returning from another stay on the injured list, is hitting .187 this season with another elevated strikeout rate but has stolen 22 bases.

Robert is in the final guaranteed year of his White Sox contract, and the team holds $20 million options in each of the following two years. With the current state of the Sox and Robert's struggles, that option would most likely not be exercised, allowing Robert to become a free agent. If the Cardinals were to acquire Robert because of his career .879 OPS against lefties and his great defense in center, they would have the same option for his services. If Robert were to go on a hot streak and others in the current Cardinal outfield struggled to grasp a starting role, the Cardinals could take a chance and pay the $20 million for another season.

Austin Hays

Another player with an option is Reds outfielder Austin Hays, who is playing out a $4 million deal that has a $12 million mutual option for next year. Mutual options are rarely exercised, as both sides have to agree on the value and fit with the roster. Because of that, Hays appears to be a true rental coming from a Reds team who is likely another season away from truly competing for the playoffs.

Hays has been an extremely consistent outfielder with the bat and has put together another solid season with Cincinnati. He is mashing left-handed pitchers to the tune of a .366 average and has historically handed southpaws well with an .821 career OPS against them. A potential issue with acquiring Hays is whether the Reds would want to deal him within the division. With him being on an expiring deal and the Reds not in contention, that might not be as big of a deal as it has been in the past.

There may be a number of suitors for Hays, so the Cardinals could have to enter a bidding war, especially if the Reds see the division deal being a hold up. This could cause the Cardinals to balk at the move and any capital given up should not pull from the top prospect list.

Marcell Ozuna

Who doesn't love a good reunion, right? The Braves' season is a shock around the baseball world, as they looked to be near the top of the NL East coming into the year. However, Atlanta sits 11 games under .500 and 9.5 games out of the Wild Card. The talented Braves roster has some intriguing names on an expensive roster that is likely going to miss the postseason.

Ozuna is still a dangerous hitter who is in the last year of his contract and cannot be issued a qualifying offer, which could create even more interest around the league. The DH-only option has had a down season by his standard, with 11 homers and a 111 WRC+ over 85 games. He is taking walks at the highest rate of his career while also hitting lefties for an .827 OPS.

Acquiring Ozuna would bring up tough memories, as this would be his second turn with the organization. The Cardinals traded for Ozuna's services but had to part with Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen to make the deal. His two-season run was productive yet well under expectations, as he put up his lowest two-full-season stretch by measure of WRC+ in his career. The cost would have to be mouthwatering for St. Louis to pull a trigger on an Ozuna deal, as he is a strict DH and would take some lineup flexibility away from manager Oli Marmol.

Ramon Laureano

Laureano is putting up his best season since being suspended 80 games for PED use and is in the middle of a solid two-year run after a nice half year with Atlanta. Now with Baltimore, Laureano has an .851 OPS and has cut his strikeout rate while hitting 10 homers and hitting .274 overall. He hits lefties better than righties but has been a quality hitter regardless of the pitcher.

The outfielder has a $6.5 million club option that could actually end up being a bargain for an acquiring team. Because of this, there may be an increase in asking price from Baltimore as they fall further out of playoff contention. Laureano is set to turn 31 years old this month, so he may not be a long-term fit for the Orioles, and they would only move him if the prospect return made sense. If they do not receive an offer that meets their needs, they could choose to hold onto Laureano and use him and his contract as a trade piece this offseason.

Willi Castro

Anyone miss Tommy Edman? How about a younger, cheaper, and actually more productive switch-hitting utility man with the Twins' Willi Castro? He has played all three outfield positions along with every infield spot besides first base and is putting together his best offensive season. The 28-year-old is hitting .269 with eight homers and stolen bases with a decent strikeout rate, and he takes more walks than the average hitter.

Castro is making $6.4 million this year, his last year of team control, and will be a free agent at year's end. The Twins are four games out of the playoff race, so he could be available in the next couple of weeks for teams looking for defensive versatility and a solid offensive option that has hit most everywhere in the lineup.