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Cardinals Rumors: Details on St. Louis’ Juan Soto trade offer revealed

By Josh Jacobs |
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 13: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals in action against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning of game two of a doubleheader at Nationals Park on July 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 13: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals in action against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning of game two of a doubleheader at Nationals Park on July 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals are in negotiations for a Juan Soto trade, and details have emerged about the offer.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in negotiations with the Washington Nationals over a blockbuster deal for their star outfielder Juan Soto, and details are beginning to emerge of what their proposal looks like.

According to St. Louis writer Jeff Jones, Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman and prospect Maysn Winn have been the centerpieces of trade talks with the Nationals, which begins to give a framework to fans about what the entire deal will include.

Walker was not mentioned in the report, which is huge news for St. Louis, as he looks to be the next rising star in baseball. In order to not include Walker in a deal though, that will mean parting with a larger amount of widely regarded players.

There is more news that makes it seems as thought the Cardinals may be able to pull of a deal here in the next few days without giving up the massive packages that were initially speculated. First, it appears the Cardinals are willing to take on Patrick Corbin’s contract, which would lessen the Nationals asking price once again.

Second, according to Jeff Passan, the Nationals are very motivated to move Soto right now, as current ownership is looking to sell the club, and potential buyers would like Soto moved in advance so they would not be known as the ownership group who came in and traded a generational star.

With all of this in mind, it is becoming clear that the Nationals will be able to get a lot in return for their 23 year old superstar, but their desire to deal him quickly due to ownership concerns and attach Corbin’s contract to Soto is lessening their leverage more than originally thought.

Here is what this all means for the Cardinals hopes of acquiring Soto before the August 2nd trade deadline and the kind of package that is now on the table.

ATLANTA, GA – JULY 07: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the eleventh inning at Truist Park on July 7, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 07: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in the eleventh inning at Truist Park on July 7, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) /

Nolan Gorman highlights trade package

Knowing that Gorman and Winn are on the table for St. Louis at the moment and Washington is including Corbin in this deal, we can begin to put together the final pieces of this package and understand what is going to get this deal done.

The Nationals are asking for 4-5 young players, a combination of young major leaguers with low service time and top prospects, according to The Athletics’ Ken Rosenthal. With Gorman and Winn in the deal and Walker currently off the table, 2-3 more pieces can now be identified.

The first of which, and last “major” piece, would likely  be outfielder Dylan Carlson. Carlson is a former top prospect himself, and the 23 year old switch hitter is proving to be a productive big league hitter as well as potential Gold Glove outfielder. Although the Cardinals could potentially get away with Carlson not being in the deal, it seems unlikely if they want to hold onto Walker as well.

Gorman, Winn, and Carlson make up a strong foundation to a deal for Soto, and then a few more youngsters a tier or two below the trio could complete this deal. With Corbin’s contract coming back to St. Louis, two of the following players would all but finalize these negotiations: Alec Burleson, Michael McGreevy, Juan Yepez, Joshua Baez, Moises Gomez, Luken Baker, or Malcom Nunez.

If the Cardinals wish to hold onto Carlson, that likely means pairing Gorman and Winn with two or three of Matthew Liberatore, Tink Hence, Ivan Herrera, Burleson, McGreevy, and players in that tear of prospects.

It is hard to nail down the final pieces of the package as so many names could be at play, but based on what we know, this is what can be expected.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 18: National League All-Star Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after winning the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 18: National League All-Star Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after winning the 2022 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

St. Louis loads up for 2022 and beyond

If this deal gets pulled off in the coming days, the Cardinals will have found a way to load up for 2022 while not compromising the long term future of the club, and solidifying themselves as legit contenders in 2023 and 2024 as well. This framework is honestly the best case scenario for St. Louis.

Giving up Gorman and Winn stings, but neither player will come close to the level of player Soto is. Gorman was most recently a top 100 prospect and has shown great potential. But keep in mind, Gorman is only 1 year younger than Soto, and is now slashing .223/.229/.411 in 194 PA for St. Louis. HIs .710 OPS and 9 HR are respectable for sure, but his major struggles against left handed pitching a high strikeout rate are still concerns.

Winn is rising up prospect boards around the game as he is thriving as an elite defensive shortstop and now showing promising results at the plate. It would sting to see the shortstop making highlight plays in Washington, but again, parting with him for a generational bat is a no-brainer.

While its hard to tell whether Carlson or other prospects will complete the package, we now know the Cardinals would be boasting a lineup with Soto, Goldschmidt, Arenado, Edman, O’Neill, Bader, and possibly Carlson, with another elite talent in Jordan Walker likely joining the fold next season. This is some legit firepower that likely no one else in baseball could replicate.

For 2022 and beyond, the Cardinals would hope that Corbin would be rejuvenated a bit coming to St. Louis, being a patchwork arm for now and possibly even regaining some of his success to be a dependable, back end of the rotation lefty for the foreseeable future. With Steven Matz landing on the IL this week, adding some kind of arm is much needed.

Whatever happens, it is clear that a deal with Washington for Soto is no longer league speculation, but a legit reality on the table for St. Louis right now. Keep your push notifications on, as their could be a blockbuster brewing.

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