Cardinals Rumors: Could St. Louis pursue Nationals’ Josh Harrison?

The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to pick the bones of the Nationals, eyeing a deal for Josh Harrison. 

The Washington Nationals are holding the fire sale of all fire sales, trading away Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Daniel Hudson in a four hour span on July 29. A day later, in the hours before the deadline, they are expected to continue that fire sale, though to a lesser degree, with top trade candidates including catcher Yan Gomes and infielder Josh Harrison.

Should the St. Louis Cardinals get involved?

It’s highly unlikely the Cardinals would be in on Gomes, considering they have Yadier Molina and Andrew Knizner behind the plate. The more likely destination for Gomes, whose trade is imminent, appears to be the Toronto Blue Jays who continue to actively look for another catcher.

Harrison, however, is a different story. He has flown under the radar this season, hitting .294/.366/.434 with six home runs and 38 RBI, and has something that will surely appeal to the Cardinals: defensive versatility. He has the ability to play second and third bases as well as the outfield, which would give them a No. 4 outfielder and allow Tommy Edman, who is their current No. 4 outfielder, to be their full-time second baseman.

Cardinals Trade Rumors: Will Josh Harrison land in St. Louis?

There are indications that Harrison is likely to stay with the Nationals, however, as ownership has an affinity for him, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. But it would figure to be unlikely to take much to pry him away from the Nationals, considering he’s a pending free agent, and could be a strong under-the-radar type addition that president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has been seeking.

There are less than three hours until the deadline. The Cardinals have many lines cast out, including on Harrison. Will it result in a deal? We’ll soon find out. But the odds of a Harrison deal happening appear to be remote at best.