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

One of the best parts about being a St. Louis Cardinals fan is that when your team is competitive, no trade is ever off the table. Who are some players that would make sense in St. Louis, even if they will probably never get here?

While fans often criticize the front office for failing to make a splash, the St. Louis Cardinals have made their fair share of big trades. Starting in the early 2000s, the Cardinals have made moves for Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Matt Holliday, Jayson Heyward, Marcell Ozuna, and Paul Goldschmidt. Each of these players has had an impact and shown that the Cardinals aren’t afraid of paying a price for talent.

Recently, the Cardinals have been connected with trading for another superstar in Colorado Rockies’ third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Arenado rumors make sense for three reasons: the Cardinals need a big bat, the Rockies need young pitching, and Arenado’s personality seems to fit the St. Louis atmosphere. Add in the expensive contract and the lack of recent success in Colorado, and you have a solid base for expecting the big trade that we’ve all been waiting for.

There are other superstars out there, however, that also fit these requirements. Some of them aren’t on the market, and many would come at an even steeper price than Arenado. But why limit ourselves to the pursuit of just one transcendent talent? Here are four superstars that the St. Louis Cardinals will probably never acquire, even though it would be wonderful if they swung big for them.

SHANE BIEBER

Only one pitcher in baseball under 25 had more strikeouts last season than Jack Flaherty. Only one pitcher in baseball under 25 had 15 wins last season besides Dakota Hudson. It’s not Walker Buehler. It’s Cleveland Indians ace, Shane Bieber.

In his rookie season, Bieber started 19 games, going 11-5 with an ERA of 4.55. Respectable, but nothing extraordinary. In his second year (2019)? Bieber went off. An All-Star for the first time, Bieber’s 259 strikeouts and 15 wins resulted in a 4th place finish in Cy Young voting. His three complete games led the American League, as did his two shutouts. Check out this MLB.com article for more information on the best young pitcher you might not have heard of.

As the Indians have recently traded away both Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer, they probably don’t want to lose any more starters. However, Cleveland traded those talented players because they didn’t have a high enough payroll to keep them around.

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Bieber is arbitration-eligible in 2022, so putting him on this list might be a few years too early. With other star players like Fransisco Lindor up for a big contract soon, though, the Indians might be persuaded to move Bieber for a good offer.

One would assume the price for Bieber would be astronomical. The Cardinals have a relationship with the Cleveland front office, though, having completed four deals with each other since 2013. In addition, the Indians gave up Bauer and Kluber for very little. It is generally agreed that they lost on the Kluber deal, and the Bauer deal hasn’t done too hot either.

You can never have too much pitching, plus a rotation headlined by Flaherty and Bieber would be one of the best in the game. Sadly, until Bieber’s contract is slightly larger, the Indians will do whatever they can to hold onto their ace. In the words of another famous Bieber, however, Never Say Never.

ST LOUIS, MO – JUNE 26: Matt Chapman #26 of the Oakland Athletics rounds third base after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium on June 26, 2019 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

MATT CHAPMAN

Matt Chapman might be the most underrated player in baseball. As our friends over at The White Cleat Beat wrote last week, “He is a relatively anonymous star, a player whose accomplishments have been overshadowed by bigger names. While Chapman is easily one of the top third basemen in the game, his name rarely comes up in that conversation.”

Once again, let’s compare a third baseman to Nolan Arenado. First, Chapman is five years younger and arbitration-eligible for the first time after 2021. So he’s a lot younger and cheaper than his former high school teammate. In his seven-year career, Arenado has seven Gold Gloves and three Platinum Gloves. Somehow, Chapman is on pace to match him, with two Gold Gloves and two Platinum Gloves in his first two full seasons.

On the offensive side, Arenado has a much higher batting average, and almost twenty more home runs in the past two seasons. On the other hand, OPS+ favors Chapman (127 to 122), and there is always the Coors Field effect to consider. Arenado is more established, but as he ages into his 30s and Chapman enters his prime, it’s not unlikely that Chapman soon overtakes him at the plate.

The Cardinals and Athletics have a good relationship, with the Stephen Piscotty deal of 2017 and Matt Holliday trade in 2009 standing out from recent years. The A’s tend to sell high, too. It wasn’t that long ago that a young Oakland third baseman named Josh Donaldson was traded the season after making his first All-Star game.

The A’s are a competitive team, and Chapman is their young superstar. With projected revenue losses across the league and problems to come for Oakland to replace the Colosseum, however, they might be forced into a deal. If there is even the smallest chance that Matt Chapman’s name hits the trade market, the Cardinals should be at the front of the line.

ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 05: Mike Trout #27 speaks to Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels during the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 5, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)

MIKE TROUT

There is no need for an explanation of why a baseball team would want Mike Trout.

However, for the St. Louis Cardinals in particular, Mike Trout wearing the Birds on the Bat would be the most poetic baseball move I could possibly think of. As Albert Pujols went to finish his career in Los Angeles, the Cardinals would return the favor and take on the Angels’ best player ten years later. Yeah, I know he signed a contract with the Angels that lasts through 2030. But just hear me out for a second:

About ten years ago, Albert came off of his third MVP win. He was the leader of a team that had been to the playoffs in six of his first nine seasons, and the undisputed best player in baseball. This offseason, Mike Trout celebrated his third MVP and reminded us that he is still the best in the game. The difference is that he has a grand total of one postseason hit, having made the playoffs once in his first nine seasons.

The Angels’ struggles are well-documented, but Trout’s willingness to sign the long-term extension was supposed to be a sign of his commitment to staying in Los Angeles either way. I find that hard to believe.

It’s become increasingly more common in the sports world for star players to request trades when their team fails to be competitive. We can look once more to Arenado as an example of a superstar signing an extension, and then growing disappointed in his organization as they lose repeatedly.

There is a less than one percent chance that Mike Trout gets traded. But what if 2024 rolls along, and the Angels still haven’t found postseason success? After seeing the reception that Cardinals fans gave his teammate and friend Albert Pujols last summer, it’s not crazy to think that St. Louis would be a top destination on Trout’s list.

Despite the fantastic fit, the Cardinals would have to give up an enormous amount of talent to acquire any of these four. Nolan Gorman, Matthew Liberatore, even Dylan Carlson as well as significant major league talent would be necessary to complete a deal. Not to mention the large contracts that most of these players would then require in order to stay around.

Whether it is at the trade deadline, next offseason, or in 2024, these four names are unlikely to be part of future St. Louis Cardinal teams. Nevertheless, the Cardinals won’t be afraid to go after the big fish and swing big for these stars.

As long as there is baseball, there will be fans clamoring for a big trade. Here’s to the next one working out in favor of the Cardinals– whether it’s Arenado, Bieber, or someone else, a superstar goes a long way towards winning another championship.