St. Louis Cardinals: Lynn a good match for Boston too

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to shop starting pitcher Lance Lynn around to other teams, but could the Boston Red Sox be a potential trade partner?

The trade deadline is just three days away, and the St. Louis Cardinals continue to be at the center of major trade talks. As the team continues to shop starting pitcher Lance Lynn, more and more teams are coming to the table for his services. Teams like the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and the Kansas City Royals have done their due diligence on the right-hander.

However, this morning, some major developments out of the east coast, might have a team searching for another starting pitcher to get them through the playoffs. This morning, news came out saying Boston Red Sox’s starter, David Price, has renewed elbow discomfort in his pitching arm. Due to his discomfort, the Red Sox placed the left-hander on the 10-day DL this morning.

This is the same pitching injury that forced Price to miss the first eight weeks of the season. He developed elbow soreness in Spring Training and took time to debate whether Tommy John surgery would be needed. However, after learning surgery would not be needed, Price took the time to heal on the DL.

David Price will be placed on disabled list due to an elbow issue, source confirms. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 28, 2017

Without Price, the Red Sox’s rotation doesn’t nearly have the punch it did upon his return. Could the Red Sox call the St. Louis Cardinals for the services of Lynn?

It certainly makes you think. However, given the return on rentals so far, the St. Louis Cardinals should tread carefully when discussing a deal for Lynn. Obviously, every team is different and has different needs. This is where the Cardinals need to play up to those team needs and the desperation others have on getting their guy.

As I mentioned before, the Yankees have asked about Lynn, but now that the Red Sox are involved, the Cardinals would be wise to strike up the rivalry a little bit. Lets say neither Red Sox or Yankees land Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn has to be their back up guy, right? Well, play off that notion and get the deal you want.

The tricky question is who would you get from the Red Sox if a trade happens. Well, there are a couple of options. I am not saying this would be the deal, however, I am saying these are names the St. Louis Cardinals need to consider in a trade with Boston.

The first, and obvious choice, is Rafael Devers. The Red Sox recently reported the young third baseman to the majors. So far, he has been impressive and showing good pop from the bat. He is the Red Sox number one prospect and would be on the short list for the Cardinals to get in return for Lynn.

What makes this seem realistic is the fact the Red Sox recently traded for Eduardo Nunez. The Sox have said Nunez will play different positions, but I would expect him to play every day.

The kickback to this is the Red Sox would never trade Devers for a rental, much like the Yankees wouldn’t trade Gleyber Torres for a rental. Again, I’m not saying that is the deal or don’t take it all, but the Cardinals should see if there is a possibility to get the young third baseman. It doesn’t hurt to ask. The worse thing they can say is no.

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So, in the event they do say no, what else is there the St. Louis Cardinals would want?

The Red Sox also have another third base prospect in the form of Michael Chavis. While he doesn’t stack up nearly to what Rafael Devers does, Chavis is certainly someone to look for in the future.

According to soxprospect.com, Chavis has a plus arm and can make great throws across the diamond. He needs a little work defensively, but should be able to stabilize third base for the Cardinals.

Chavis also projects well offensively. He is capable of hitting twenty or more home runs in a season. Like most young hitters, the hit mechanics are still in fine tuning mode, but he grades well in contact too. He isn’t a bad back-up option for the Cardinals.

Other prospects that may be of interest to the Cardinals are pitchers Jay Groome and Alex Scherff.

With the news of David Price going down, I think it’s fair to say the Cardinals should make a call to Boston or vice versa. The Red Sox have a need in their rotation, especially if Price is down for longer than ten days. Given the history of his injury, the Red Sox may have no choice but to go all-in on a pitcher like Lynn to save their season hopes of a World Series.

For the Cardinals, this is a no-brainer. Yesterday Ken Rosenthal tweeted the Cardinals may not give a qualifying offer to Lance Lynn in the off-season. If that truly is the case, then there is no reason the Cardinals shouldn’t trade Lance Lynn this deadline. The Cardinals need to maximize any potential deal they can get for the pitcher.

As I said before, play off the rivalry and desperation of the Yanks and Sox. Who knows, maybe this is a deal that helps bring in a big bat this deadline or during the off-season?

Next: Resting Gyorko for a trade

With the trade deadline three days away expect some excitement this weekend. Will the St. Louis Cardinals finally show their hand? My guess is not until Monday, but I don’t think Lynn will be on the team before his next scheduled start.

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