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Oakland Athletics
The Cardinals have been consistently linked to the Oakland Athletics for the past year, first as a prime destination for former right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas, and now star catcher Sean Murphy. Unfortunately, for St. Louis, they will face a lot of competition for the all-around backstop.
Still, St. Louis has the assets to grab Murphy, and they should seriously consider this upgrade. Murphy is the best all-around option on the market, giving the Cardinals a great bat for their lineup, while continuing their great tradition of defense behind the plate. Murphy will cost the most on the trade market for St. Louis because of this though, which will play a major role in the Cardinals decision to make a deal.
Even if Murphy is not there end target at catcher, guys like All-Star starter Paul Blackburn or relivers A.J Puk and Sam Moll could be great options to improve the pitching staff for St. Louis. The Cardinals have plenty of prospects or controllable young talent to entice Oakland, it is just a matter of whether or not the Cardinals want what Oakland has to offer.