St. Louis Cardinals: Where are the trades?

While sitting above .500 ball right now, the St. Louis Cardinals could use some changes… right?  With recent minor league additions, it seemed that trades might have been right around the corner but where are they?

The St. Louis Cardinals spent a good deal of the latter half of May adding two players to the roster in the 2015 PCL batting champion, Jose Martinez, and then closing May by signing AAA-catcher Michael McKenry.  Beefing the roster seems in the cards in these moves which seems to indicate that other moves are pending– to me at least (see my Martinez article).

So then, if we agree that it seems that Mozeliak is beefing the roster for padding in the event of upcoming moves, where are they?  Why haven’t they materialized?

Let’s look at the current state of things before we pass judgement.  As it stands, Greg Garcia has returned to the big club and has held his own.  On what was to be a two-day appointment to cover Matt Carpenter‘s stay on the paternity list, Garcia turned into a reason to remain on the roster. 

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In the Garcia-to-the-bigs move, the Cardinals wisely shuffled off Ruben Tejada.  Let us all admit that this long overdue!

With Garcia holding a roster spot, the question becomes what happens with Jhonny Peralta returns?  This is a very viable question and one that I examined a few months ago (see here).  For more on Peralta (and more recently-written pieces), see this link.

In short, when Peralta returns the Cardinals will be facing- if only in the minimal sense- a trade of sorts and will- hopefully- see an uptick in production through this offensive and defensive upgrade “trade.”

In this “trade,” will Greg Garcia be sent packing?  Will other logjam positions such as the overloaded outfield (read: Jeremy Hazelbaker, Carlos Peguero in Memphis, David Washington in AA, etc.) become trade bait for pitching? 

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Ah, pitching: what the Cardinals need.  Right?  Or is this now wrong?  Of recent, the Cardinals rotation seems to be finding footing.  Does this change the trade expectations?

Let me jump to conclusions… I do think that Mozeliak is working something.  I just don’t see the need to bring in the two players he did if he wasn’t in the midst of working some deal.  I feel that it is likely for pitching.

When Mozeliak added Martinez, I felt that he was likely working with a one-team-to-one-team trade but now with the addition of McKenry I feel that he might be in the middle of a multi-team trade.  But with which team?

Here is the rub: which team out there has arms to give, a race they cannot win (or think they cannot win with their current players), and a need for outfielders?  Is this team Toronto?  Maybe Cleveland?  Or what about Arizona?

Next: A Letter to the Spoiled Fans

I wish I knew but I do feel that something is coming.  I’m just not sure if this something is coming from another team or from Peralta’s return.  I guess time will tell.