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Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t the only National League Central team looking to improve during the offseason. Every other team has surfaced in trade and free agency rumors in the last couple of weeks.
Even the Cincinnati Reds, a team that appears to be moored in the division basement for the next few years at least, made headlines for putting Aroldis Chapman out there. The Boston Red Sox were rumored to be close. Now, we know how that worked out. D’oh!
This is how weird this offseason is shaping up to be. In the first three seasons under this current system of offseason negotiating, 34 qualifying offers had been given to players. All of them rejected. This year? Three — pitcher Brett Anderson (Dodgers), our old friend Colby Rasmus (Astros) and catcher Matt Wieters (Orioles) — took the QA. And one more, pitcher Ian Kennedy, probably should have grabbed the one he got from the San Diego Padres.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Nation has speculated ad nauseam about acquisition possibilities for the 2016 club. David Price? Chris Davis? Andrelton Simmons? Johnny Cueto? No one knows.
What we haven’t done is look around the division, to see what everyone else is looking for. Because it doesn’t matter who the St. Louis Cardinals sign or trade for this offseason. If several other National League Central teams improve more than us, it won’t matter.
Next: Pittsburgh Pirates