Looking at a potential St. Louis Cardinals trade for Juan Soto

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ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 12: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals hits a RBI single during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on April 12, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images) /

Why St. Louis Would Trade for Juan Soto

The St. Louis Cardinals have not gotten off to the start they would have hoped for in 2022, but still remain very much in the hunt for not only a Wild Card spot but also the NL Central title. The biggest frustration for the Cardinals has been the lack of consistency and general underperformance of their lineup. Tyler O’Neill looks lost as the plate right now, and the offense goes from scoring 10+ runs one game to getting shut out the next. Adding one more impact bat, or in this case a generational bat, would transform this lineup into an instant World Series contender.

The Cardinals do not have one of the best farm systems in baseball, but they do have multiple blue chip prospects (Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Matthew Liberatore) as well as a variety of up and coming talent in the system and on the Major League roster. The Cardinals could craft multiple different packages that would entice Washington to deal their superstar.

Multiple questions need to be answered before the Cardinals would pull the trigger on such a deal. First, would the club be able to extend Soto to the kind of deal that would keep him in St. Louis? If Bill Dewitt is willing to open up his checkbook, they surely can.

The Cardinals currently have the 12th highest payroll in baseball, just 9 million above league average. The club is the 7th highest valued in all of baseball, and is a cash cow despite its midmarket standing, thanks in large part to one of the most passionate fanbases in baseball. Players like Arenado and Goldschmidt are signed to large deals, but big deals like Mikolas, Wainwright, and Molina come off the books over the next two years.

The second question needed to be answered is whether or not the Cardinals have the assets to put the best offer out there for Washington. With Nolan Gorman’s white hot start to 2022 and Jordan Walker emerging as potentially one of the best prospects in all of baseball, the Cardinals clearly have the kind of centerpieces needed for a deal. Mix in some young big league talent and other high level prospects, and their package could compete with some of the best in baseball.

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