St. Louis Cardinals: A week until the trade deadline

The rumor mill out of Miami has the Marlins standing pat. Is that the case or are the Marlins just trying to get more in a deal?

The Cardinals have been connected to the Miami Marlins countless times over the last month. Just like every trade deadline, rumors change constantly. This one is no different. At this point in time, the Marlins are planning on keeping their core, until at least the off-season. Given the dramatic changes that can happen by the hour, we will see if the Marlins change their minds before the July 31st deadline.

The St. Louis Cardinals have been connected to the Marlins’ outfielders at some time or another, but the Marlins say they won’t deal any of them. This could force the team to go to a plan B. Each of the Marlins’ outfielders would help the team this season and improve the future. Each one of them has a contract that goes past this season and offers the team something they don’t have, a hitter who could bat in the three hole.

For a team that isn’t going to compete this year, it’s odd the Marlins will hold off until winter. Keeping their core players for an extra half of a season only lowers their potential value in a trade. If the Marlins want to max out any potential return, moves need to be made sooner rather than later.

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The Marlins’ front office could be spreading these stories to up the potential return for their players. The National League East and the Wild Card are not in the cards for the Marlins so not making any deals would be a surprise.

There is still plenty of time for things to change. As of now, don’t expect the Cardinals to add a Marlins outfielder before the deadline. If that means the Cardinals decide to go a different route, then what that route will be remains a mystery. The Cardinals are very good at staying tight-lipped in a social media world, so we may not hear anything until a deal is made.