C Will Smith
You may be thinking “Why would the Dodgers trade away one of the best catchers in baseball?, but the possibility is very real. With top prospect Diego Cartaya close to the Major Leagues, insiders have speculated that the Dodgers could take advantage of the haul they would get back for Smith.
Will Smith hit .260/.343/.465 with 24 HR and 87 RBI for the Dodgers in 2022, catching in 109 games in DHing in another 25. That kind of offensive production is just not seen from players behind the plate very often.
The Cardinals need catching help badly, and they also need another big bat in their lineup, and Smith would provide both for St. Louis, all while being under team control through the 2025 season. Smith will come at a high price for the Cardinals if they wish to trade for him, but that level of bat and cost control would be worth giving up a strong package of prospects.
Los Angeles would then be able to turn over the reigns to their new catcher in Cartaya and continue having one of the best farm systems in baseball, allowing them to capitalize and trade for any stars they want that become available, like Shohei Ohtani. The Cardinals don’t need to worry about that though, as they need to focus on the drastic improvement Smith would provide for them.