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5 early season trade targets for the St. Louis Cardinals
By Josh Jacobs
Royals INF/OF Whit Merrifield
On the other side of the “I-70” rivalry during his 7 year career, super utility player Whit Merrifield could be an absolute weapon if he were to end up on the St. Louis Cardinals.
Both Merrifield and the Royals have gotten off to slow starts, with the club starting out 8-16 and Merrifield slashing .151/.198/.183 so far this season. Although the Royals will likely remain out of contention, the Royals veteran is a career .287 hitter and will likely regain his on base skills in the near future.
On top of a career OBP of .333, Merrifield has 162 career stolen bases, including a league leading 40 in 2021. The Cardinals are already top of the league in stolen bases thus far, and he would help the club swipe bags at an unheard of level. Merrifield has mostly played second base and corner outfield in his career, but has the versatility to play shortstop, third base, and center field as well.
If the club is not confident in Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, Brendan Donovan, or Nolan Gorman, Merrifield could slot in at shortstop or second and provide the team with immediate help. The club could also view Merrifield as the super utility player that many thought Tommy Edman would fall into this season, slotting in the lineup all over the place as needed, and offering manager Oli Marmol a ton of flexibility late in games off the bench as a pinch runner or pinch hitter.