St. Louis Cardinals: Redbird Rants All-Star Break Summit

3. Who is a non-Stanton and Donaldson name you are interested in the Cardinals acquiring?

Josh: When you think about this team, there are two things that stick out as needs. The first being a solid bat to hit in the middle of the order, the other is defense. Andrelton Simmons, considered by some as the best defensive shortstop in the league, could be a great addition to the team. Simmons immediately improves the team’s defense and could be a dangerous pairing with a healthy Kolten Wong.

Dr. Miles: I think the Cardinals should consider Troy Tulowitzki (see my article for more). I would also like the Cards to kick the tires on a return of Pat Neshek to shore-up the pen. At the plate, the Cardinals could also benefit from J.D. Martinez, who I have written about and who could be had for less money than Donaldson/Stanton.

Tito: Do Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw, and Aaron Judge count? Realistically, I’m not sure. There are a lot of rental players out there requiring the Cardinals to resign them in the off-season. Unfortunately, that is no easy task for any team to do, so the St. Louis Cardinals have to be careful with whom they target.

If I had to choose a realistic option, and following my Stanton notion, I think the Cardinals should consider either J.D. Martinez or Justin Upton from Detroit. Upton will cost more money than Martinez, but Upton is having a very nice season. Martinez is having a good season too, so the Cardinals really couldn’t go wrong.

Nathan: The Cardinals have an under-the-radar amount of position player talent at the minor league level. If they’re not going to go all in and try to land a lineup-changing bat, I’d rather them promote some young guys and give them a shot. The starting rotation looks like it’ll hold for the remainder of the year. Don’t forget about the abundance of pitching prospects waiting in the wings in Memphis and Springfield.

Brendan: I’d like to see the Cardinals try to upgrade the bullpen. There are multiple log jams on this roster, and the Cardinals are having a hard enough time finding ways to get all of their guys on the field. The offense was a concern to start the year, but since Carpenter moved back into the leadoff spot, this offense has looked great. If they aren’t getting a game-changing bat, then it’s that struggling pen needing reinforcements.

Shane: J.D. Martinez. A big bat that could strengthen the middle of the order for the Cardinals. Only problem with Martinez is he is a free agent in 2018, so the Cardinals would have to work hard to sign him for the future.

The other reason I like this trade is because the Cardinals could unload one of their outfielders. Whether it’s Harrison Bader, Randal Grichuk or Magnerius Sierra, it could create a clearer picture as to what the outfield would look like in the coming years. That is if they are able to re-sign J.D. Martinez in the off-season.

Dan: Joey Votto.  For some reason, people overlook the fact that Joey Votto is one of the best players in the league.  He has a career OBP of .425 (no typo). The Reds owe him a decent chunk of money, but he is also under control for some time.

Votto could stabilize the first base position Carpenter has refused to seize. The obvious problem is he probably isn’t available.

I would like the Cardinals to inquire on another Blue Jay, Marcus Stroman.  If we could somehow run out Carlos, Stroman, and Reyes next season as a 1-2-3, that would be pretty formidable.

Christian: Jay Bruce. The power hitting outfielder has bounced back from a tough 2016 campaign, hitting .265/.334/.539 with twenty-three home runs and fifty-three RBIs so far. The Mets seem to be selling on him, and the Cardinals are not part of the 8-team no-trade provision in Bruce’s contract.

With an expiring contract at the reasonable age of 30, the acquisition of Bruce would fill an immediate power need in the outfield for the present, while giving the Cardinals short-term flexibility in the future.

On top of that, the Cardinals also have the option to retain Bruce on a long-term deal because of his age and relatively affordable previous contract (7 years, $63 million), should he play well during his tenure in St. Louis. In my eyes, acquiring Bruce is a safe move for the Cardinals to make with the most potential for payoff on the offensive end.

Trevor: Justin Wilson, closer for the Detroit Tigers.  This is the single smartest move the team can make.  The Cardinals need bullpen help, the Tigers don’t need Wilson.  They have Joe Jiménez, one of their top-3, ready to take over the closer role next year.  The Tigers are out of the race so a closer is not a necessary role for them this season.

Wilson would be a reliable addition at the back-end of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen.  He is having a good year, but not a ton of history.  That means he should have a very realistic price tag on him.

Larry: Among those who are really, truly a possible acquisition?  I like Marcell Ozuna a lot, though we are outfield heavy at the moment. I want to say here I totally regret the Eric Hosmer move. Look at his career numbers and it seems unlikely he would improve on our several internal candidates for first base for the next few years.