St. Louis Cardinals: Cards who could be traded in the off-season.

Several St. Louis Cardinals on the current roster could be traded during this offseason.  Some may surprise you, others may not, and some may be your favorite Cardinal.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be active in the off-season trade market.  There are holes to fill, questions to answer in the lineup, questions in the starting rotation, and questions in the bullpen.  To fill these holes and answer those questions, the Cardinals will likely have to trade some members on the current roster.

Even though the St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a pennant race, it’s not too early to start talking about the offseason and the moves that could be made.

The starting rotation doesn’t have an ‘ace’ on the staff.  Jack Flaherty may be the closest pitcher the Cardinals have on the roster who could be an ace. Miles Mikolas, although he has been steady all season, is at best a three-spot in the rotation.  John Gant and Austin Gomber aren’t likely to fill an ace role, while Luke Weaver needs to work out his issues in the bullpen.

Fans may be hopeful for a return of Michael Wacha and Alex Reyes in 2019 but there must be concerns about their long-term health.

Do the St. Louis Cardinals need another ‘big bat’ in the lineup?  Could they upgrade at third base?  Is Paul DeJong the shortstop of the future?  Will Carson Kelly be the catcher of the future?  Does Jose Martinez belong in the outfield?  These are questions the Cardinals will need to address in the offseason.

What needs to be done to the bullpen in the offseason?  A closer needs to be established.  Is the answer on the current roster?  Even though the bullpen was outstanding in August, it has been erratic in September. Who on the current roster should be kept and who should be traded?

Let’s look at some players who could be traded in the 2018-19 off-season in order to address these issues.

Several St. Louis Cardinals on the current roster could be traded during this offseason.  Some may surprise you, others may not, and some may be your favorite Cardinal.

Dexter Fowler

First, let’s get this one over with… Dexter Fowler is not going anywhere.  Fowler has three years left on 5-year, $82.5 million contract.  No one is bailing the St. Louis Cardinals out of this deal this off-season and the Cards are not going to eat the rest of this contract.

The best hope for the Cardinals, in my opinion, is to let Fowler rehab over the winter and bring him back for Spring Training.  Hopefully, winter work with the St. Louis Cardinals’ hitting coaches will help Fowler rediscover his bat.  If he does, then maybe the Cards can trade him during the 2019 season and at least get some return for him.

Another reason to keep Fowler would be insurance in case of ‘sophomore slumps’ by Harrison Bader and Tyler O’Neil.  This is a real possibility considering what happened to Tommy Pham and Aledmys Diaz in the past.

It’s hard to believe that the 32-year-old Dexter Fowler will continue to hit below .200 instead of his career average of .262 next year.  Fowler may just need a strong spring training in order to turn around his career next year.  A strong start to 2019 could make Fowler more valuable in the trade market.

I had to get that one off my chest.  Let’s move on.

Several St. Louis Cardinals on the current roster could be traded during this offseason.  Some may surprise you, others may not, and some may be your favorite Cardinal.

Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez would bring the St. Louis Cardinals some real value in the winter trade market.  The 26-year-old right-handed arm is a true ace for any MLB starting rotation.  Also, with his electric movement on his pitches, Martinez could make him an outstanding closer.  The Cardinals are currently using Martinez in that role, replacing Bud Norris.

He has never lived up to potential as a starter, however. Injuries have been part of the culprit for this level of disappointment, especially in 2018.  Prior to being placed on the DL on May 10, Martinez had a 1.40 ERA. Never really regaining his early season form, the Cardinals put him in the bullpen on August 21, after returning from his second DL stint.

Should the St. Louis Cardinals trade Carlos Martinez?  Rumors were circulating that Carlos was being ‘shopped around’ prior to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline so a trade in the off-season doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility.

With the impressive rookie season of Jack Flaherty, the return of a hopefully-healthy Alex Reyes and Michael Wacha, the St. Louis Cardinals may decide Martinez is expendable.

Jose Martinez

Jose Martinez is another name that was circulating as trade bait during the non-waiver trade deadline. The 30-year-old right-handed OF/1B, is considered an offensive asset and a defensive liability.

Martinez’s defensive metrics are almost embarrassing.  He has an OF Rdrs/yr of -30 and a 1B Rdrs/yr of -9.  When the Cardinals seemed out of the postseason race in July, Martinez seemed to be expendable.

His offensive numbers, however, are hard for the Cardinals to replace.  His 80 RBIs are currently second to Marcell Ozuna‘s 82, and his .303 BA is best on the team.  Additionally his .813 OPS trails only Matt Carpenter‘s .932 and his OBP of .361 also only trails Carpenter’s .383.

Nevertheless, Martinez is not arbitration-eligible until 2020 and won’t be a free agent until 2023.  He is another Cardinal who could bring real value in the offseason trade market, especially for an American League club who needs a DH.  With Tyler O’Neil, Adolis Garcia, and Randy Arozarena waiting in the wings, the St. Louis Cardinals may decide Martinez is another expendable piece.

Several St. Louis Cardinals on the current roster could be traded during this offseason.  Some may surprise you, others may not, and some may be your favorite Cardinal.

Marcell Ozuna

The St. Louis Cardinals thought they were not only getting a power-hitting-RBI-producing-middle of-the-lineup-clean-up-all-star, but also a gold-glove left fielder in Marcell Ozuna.  But by mid-season, it wasn’t working out that way. The 27-year-old right-handed bat was stuck in the .250s for most of the season and wasn’t showing much power or even defensive acumen in left field.

Consequently, Ozuna was given a cortisone shot to quiet his shoulder issues and then put on the 10-day DL on August 22. The move seemed to have worked. Since his return to the lineup, his power seems to have been restored and his throws from left field are stronger.

Ozuna now leads the St. Louis Cardinals in RBIs with 83, hits with 152, and his 22 HR are second on the team behind Matt Carpenter.  Also, he has raised his BA to .281 and is now only trailing Jose Martinez’s .301 batting average.

The 27-year old would make a valuable trade piece, if the Cardinals decide to go in that direction.  Although on only a 1yr/$9 million contract for 2018, he is not a free agent until after the 2020 season. The Cardinals are deep in the outfield throughout their organization, and would like to open up playing time for Tyler O’Neil, and the likely soon-to-arrive Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena.

Jedd Gyorko

I bring up Jedd Gyorko at the risk of making many of his loyal fans angry at me, but the 30-year-old right-handed hitter would bring some value on the trade market.  I believe the Cardinals need another big bat in the lineup in order to make it a World Series contender and third base seems to be the position to find that player.

Gyorko has been a valuable addition to the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster with his ability to play third, short, second or first. However, Yairo Munoz has been able to play all those positions, as well as the outfield, as a sort of ‘supersub.’

Additionally, it seems that the St. Louis Cardinals are not fully committed to Gyorko as an everyday player. Third base seems to be his best position, but the Cardinals often use a rotation of Carpenter, Munoz, and now Patrick Wisdom at that corner.

Gyorko is not quite the power-hitting-RBI- producing bat the Cardinals need at third base.  Nevertheless, his career slash line of .248/.312/.430 would make him a valuable piece during the off-season trade market.  Also take into account he is signed through 2019 on a 5-year, $35 million contract with a 2020 team option.