St. Louis Cardinals: Looking to the desert for answers

Last year, the Marlins were the team to look to for trades, and the St. Louis Cardinals did just that by bringing in Marcell Ozuna. This year, it appears the Arizona Diamondbacks will be the team selling assets.

It is possible that the St. Louis Cardinals could look to the desert for answers. If the Diamondbacks are going to sell, then it is worth investigating. The original tweet of Arizona potentially scorching earth came from Bob Nightengale.

The obvious names that come to mind are the superstars, like Zack Greinke and Paul Goldschmidt. While Goldy would be fantastic, they might not deal him away. But regardless, it is worth digging into that roster.

Ideally

The superstar power in Goldschmidt’s bat is an ideal situation. He really brings the kind of ability that the Cardinals could use in their lineup. Arizona might not be willing to deal the face of their franchise, but the Marlins did.

Another ideal target would be Archie Bradley. He is a star in the bullpen, and is gunning for a closer job in Arizona next year. But, if they are open to dealing him, he would be going for the closer role is St. Louis. Which would be fantastic.

As great as the idea of those two are, the price tags will not be great.

One More Option

For hitting purposes, the Diamondbacks do not pose a lucrative option. However, the St. Louis Cardinals might be able to grab a relief pitcher to try and solidify their bullpen. One option for this is Brad Boxberger, who recorded over 30 saves last season.

Boxberger will be in his last year of arbitration in 2019, so he will be relatively cheap. That being said, his ERA was over four. So he may not be the ideal choice. But he has experience at the back end of games, which can be good for St. Louis.

Trade Partners In The Making?

It is likely the St. Louis Cardinals will be in contact with Arizona at some point. Looking at the Diamondbacks roster, there are not too many enticing players. The team doesn’t need another starter, so Greinke is out. Outfielders are certainly out of the question, so there goes A.J. Pollock.

Depending on the deal, Goldschmidt might be in play. Bradley will likely be out of the question. So if a trade will happen, the most likely candidate appears to be Boxberger. He won’t require a hefty price, and he fills a need.

Though, I don’t think a trade should happen between the teams.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be making moves, so the rumors of a trade with Arizona will be flying about. This is just the beginning.