Could the Phillies' pain be the Cardinals' gain?

The Phillies have an enormous hole right now, and the Cardinals are probably on the phone helping them fill it. 

The news of Johan Rojas receiving an 80-game suspension for a PED violation is a massive blow to a Phillies team that has already shown they are "all in" for 2026. No other team has spent more money this offseason on free agents. 

This puts them in a position now to put rookie Justin Crawford in a prominent position, trying to learn at the big league level for a team that has World Series aspirations. 

The Cardinals, however, have the perfect solution at very little cost.

The Cardinals could trade Lars Nootbaar to the Phillies to help fill their outfield void.

There have been rumors of the Cardinals wanting to trade Lars Nootbaar for a while now. Nootbaar would be a perfect fit at the top of the order for Philadelphia. The on-base machine hitting in front of Harper and Schwarber gives them an even scarier lineup. He can play all three outfield positions, and while he might not have the speed of Rojas, he is still very good on the base paths. Oh, and he would only cost five million dollars. If only he weren’t recovering from surgery. 

The Phillies would still need someone to possibly start by late April or early May. They have several stopgap pieces, but the Cardinals could solve that too. Nelson Velázquez has been one of the biggest surprises of spring training. He is ready to start on opening day and would give them another big bat. Once Nootbaar is ready to go, having both on the roster makes them even better. 

The Cardinals have already told us what they would look for in return. They want young pitching with high upside, and they need a right-handed power bat. Players that would fit the criteria that Bloom looks for and wouldn’t fit a team that is all in this year could look like this. 

1B/OF Felix Reyes - You won’t find this name in the list of top Phillies prospects. Probably because his stock has risen so fast, it’s taking time for the ranking to show up. After winning the 2025 Eastern League (AAA) MVP and posting a 1.022 OPS this spring in the Phillies’ camp, he is exactly the type of young, high-upside, power right-handed bat that Bloom is looking for. The Cardinals are weak at first base depth. 

RHP Seth Johnson or RHP Moises Chace - Both pitchers are ready for the jump right now. Their biggest problem is that the Phillies’ starting five is among the best in the league, and there is no room. With the Cardinals, they would compete for a spot to open the season as part of the rotation. 

RHP Christian McGowan or RHP Seth Johnson - McGowan’s fastball grades out at a 60, and scouts see him as developing into a solid closer. Johnson has an above-average fastball and an above-average slider. He has been injured, so there is that risk, but Bloom seems not to be afraid of a risk if the upside is high enough. 

There are several players the Phillies have that are ready for their debut right now, but the team is so strong that there just isn’t any room for them. One thing we can be sure of is that, based on his track record, Bloom is already trying to find the right pieces that fit his plan.