St. Louis Cardinals: Three Potential Trade Suitors for Matt Adams

The St. Louis Cardinals are a club full of many guys who would be platoon-like players on almost any other team. They may need to move one of those guys. Matt Adams could be the guy moved.

The St. Louis Cardinals have had some interesting things go on with their platoon players, including multiple ups and downs offensively and defensively. The problem, you could say, with the club is that they have too many guys who come off the bench, or guys who would be strict bench players on other clubs. Matt Adams is one of those guys.

When Adams came into the league, he was one of the top guys in the Cardinals system. He was said to be a good hitter and an solid defender. Since then, he has had his good times and bad, as most ball players do. He has lost weight, which means he is in a lot better shape, which could make him more of a realistic player for the St. Louis Cardinals to move on from via trade.

The Cardinals have multiple guys who can play first who have been better and more consistent than Adams. Those are Matt Carpenter, who is an everyday lock, also Jose Martinez, who has been hitting the cover off of the ball, and even Jedd Gyorko. The thing with Gyorko is, if he is on a hot streak offensively and you have to have him the lineup, he can play first.

Guys like Jhonny Peralta and Greg Garcia would have little-to-no trade value, once again proving why Adams could be the best guy to trade when it comes to bench guys. Though they may have tried to look for a deal involving Kolten Wong, I think that ship has sailed.

Adams, now 28 years old (will be 29 at the end of August), could either be on decline or on the rise with the Cardinals; really not easy to tell between the two as he has been up and down off the bench for them. Let’s be honest, there’s no way he will be anywhere near a utility outfielder with any club– that did not work.

He could even land in a good spot with an American League team, as he could DH. Then again, if he wants to DH, he will have to be more of a consistent hitter and stick to his craft.

Seattle Mariners

The first suitor I have selected, is the Seattle Mariners. They are a solid club with a good offense already set in place. Right now they have a combination of Dan Vogelbach, Danny Valencia, and Taylor Motter. That’s not exactly ideal, having three guys, but not really a standout guy. Vogelbach is okay you could say, coming over from the Cubs in the Montgomery deal.

Adams would be a good fit due to his ability at the plate when he is at his best. He can also DH, and if for some reason the Mariners feel like it, they can throw him in the outfield. He is a pretty versatile guy if he’s healthy and hitting.

The Mariners have a couple of guys they could give to the Cardinals. Their farm system is not that bad. The Cards could get Joe Rizzo (3B, #7 in SEA System), Max Povse (P, #9 in SEA System), or even Rob Whalen (RHP, #13 in SEA System).

Of course, these would be great deals for the St. Louis Cardinals, if the Cards wanted to go big and give away some of their system, they could get a good return.

New York Mets

The second suitor is the New York Mets. The reason I chose the Mets is because I think they have an injury issue at first base with Lucas Duda. The Mets could use Adams as a short-term guy at first base, due to their injuries as I mentioned. Lucas Duda is only on the 10-Day DL, but he has been injured a lot in the past.

The Mets have plenty of solid guys in their system, including a couple of really good shortstop prospects, of course unless they unloaded their SS situation now, the Cardinals wouldn’t need either one with Diaz and Perez already. The Cardinals could unload for a big pitcher if they’d like, but that would require a big-name haul in return.

Philadelphia Phillies

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The third and final suitor I’ve put down is the Philadelphia Phillies. They have Tommy Joseph at first base, they are in a rebuild mode, and have many good prospects in their system. But a short-term deal like this could boost their record/confidence a little bit.

Adams, wouldn’t be very ideal for that many teams, but he could be a solid fit in Philly with his solid defense and good bat when he is hot.

The St. Louis Cardinals should not be looking for a huge return for Adams, maybe a solid reliever. If they really want to boost the team, they could unload a ton for Maikel Franco. That likely won’t happen in the near future though. Nevertheless, the Phils could be the best fit for Adams.

Next: Cardinals Close Out April

Matt Adams has had a decent Cardinals career, but it seems as if it is time for them to move on, both sides that is. Adams could be a solid guy on another team, but hey, maybe a change of scenery is exactly what Adams needs. Time will certainly tell what happens in the next career chapter for Matt Adams.