Big Game Hunting: Four superstars the St. Louis Cardinals should swing for

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 05: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs hits a grand slam during the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on May 05, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

KRIS BRYANT

I know what you’re thinking– this guy is one of the least-liked sports figures in St. Louis. He plays for a team that I can’t even get myself to say the name of. Why would you ever want Kris Bryant to be a St. Louis Cardinal?

Ok– now that we have that out of the way, look at this comparison of two mystery players from the last three seasons:

PLAYER A (age 29): .307 BA, .576 SLG, 112 HR,19.2 WAR

“While there’s certainly a case that PLAYER A is within reason to be upset, that doesn’t mean he’ll be going anywhere before the season opens.” –MLB Trade Rumors, Feb. 14

PLAYER B (age 28): .283 BA, .506 SLG, 116 HR, 11.2 WAR

“Though PLAYER B is still in a [team] uniform as Spring Training begins, the third baseman has nonetheless been one of the offseason’s top newsmakers due to the sheer amount of speculation that has swirled around his future over the last few months.” –MLB Trade Rumors, Feb. 15

Player A is better. However, Player B is younger and while contract details aren’t listed (it would give away the mystery), he is also cheaper. Both players have been on and off the market this offseason, and both would require a large price. You guessed it– Player A is Nolan Arenado, and Player B is Kris Bryant.

If you’re a St. Louis Cardinals fan pining for Nolan Arenado, you’d be crazy to not want Kris Bryant as well. Also, it makes total sense on paper– Chicago would finally have a quality pitcher under 30 and athletic outfielders that know how to hit, while the Cards get a middle-of-the-order bat with MVP ability. In the end, neither the Cardinals nor the Cubs want to help out the other side, so it is unlikely this deal ever gets done.