5 Options to Play Shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals

BOSTON, MA - MAY 04: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox hits a solo home run in the eighth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels Fenway Park on May 4, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 04: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox hits a solo home run in the eighth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels Fenway Park on May 4, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MAY 7: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox stands at home plate during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park on May 7, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The White Sox won 3-1 in ten innings. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MAY 7: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the Boston Red Sox stands at home plate during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park on May 7, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The White Sox won 3-1 in ten innings. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

Option 1: Xander Bogaerts

Let’s go big with the first option. Red Sox Xander Bogaerts has the option to opt out of his contract this offseason, and with a very slow start from the Red Sox, many have speculated they could flip him towards the deadline. One of the rumored teams to trade for Bogaerts is the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bogaerts would not come cheap for the Cardinals should they look to trade for him. So far in 2022, Bogaerts is slashing .347/.397/.463 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI. Last season, Bogaerts finished 12th in AL MVP voting slashing .295/.370/.493 with 23 home runs and 79 RBI. Acquiring the Red Sox shortstop would give the Cardinals another elite bat at their weakest offensive position, and allow the Cardinals to keep Tommy Edman at second base and platoon DH guys like Juan Yepez, Nolan Gorman, and Albert Pujols as the season goes on.

One of the struggles trading for a guy like Bogaerts is the potential price tag prospects wise for a guy who may leave as a free agent in the offseason. Our own Robert Murray speculated what a potential extension could look like in this article.

Without assurances of an extension, it may take a bargain trade opportunity on the table for St. Louis to be willing to pull the trigger on a trade for the star shortstop. Keep your eye on this one.