3 Cardinals rumors we hope are true, 1 we hope doesn't happen

The St. Louis Cardinals have just a few hours left before the MLB trade deadline passes, and rumors continue to circulate about what the club will or won't do in the trade market.

There are still players left on the roster that the Cardinals could sell on, such as Jack Flaherty, Tyler O'Neill, and Paul DeJong, along with a plethora of players who could be packaged together to acquire the starting pitching help they desperately need.

They have been active to this point, already completing two trades by sending Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers and Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays. Both deals netted the Cardinals multiple prospects, helping to replenish their farm system for future success or upcoming trades.

As always, plenty of rumors are circulating about what the club will do, especially since they are probably the most interesting team at this deadline. No, they are not going to trade Nolan Arenado or Paul Goldschmidt like the national media continues to report, but they are a team that can do so many different things between now and the deadline, and the Cardinals never find themselves in this kind of position.

Some rumors circulating right now make a lot of sense, while others do not. It's hard to know what is true and what is not during this time of year, as both the Cardinals and other organizations begin to posture with one another to get the best deals possible.

Here are 3 Cardinals rumors we hope are true, and 1 we hope is not at the trade deadline

We hope that the Cardinals are going to improve their 2024 rotation by trading away young bats

It's been a rumor on the table for quite some time now and for good reason. John Mozeliak himself has said the club clearly has not fixed their 2024 rotation yet, and that more trades are on the way.

Selling on players like Jack Flaherty or Paul DeJong will not fix their 2024 rotation. Packing players like Alec Burleson, Juan Yepez, and Tyler O'Neill likely won't cut it either. It's going to take at least one of the following names to pull off such a deal...

Brendan Donovan, Tommy Edman, Nolan Gorman, or Lars Nootbaar.

Yeah, it would be really painful. No, I don't want to see the Cardinals' young talent get dealt, but it needs to happen. Preferably, they'd find a way to package Edman with other valuable pieces to get that quality number two or three starter with control for 2024, but it'll likely take at least one of Donovan, Gorman, or Nootbaar as well.

No, they likely cannot acquire an ace at this deadline, but getting a number two or three with control would go a long way toward transforming this rotation. The Cardinals can go out and sign that ace, or possibly trade for one, in the offseason, but they need cost-controlled arms to make it happen.

We hope the New York Yankees continue to have interest in Dylan Carlson

I say this all the time, I like Dylan Carlson a lot. I would love for him to remain in the Cardinals outfield. But if they are not going to play him, they need to get value for him.

If a deal with the Orioles is not there, links between the Yankees and Carlson continue to be. The Yankees have a lot of pitching depth in their system that could help this pitching overhaul the Cardinals are doing, which makes them a great trade partner for St. Louis.

Clayton Beeter and Randy Vasquez are the two names most commonly linked, but in a deal for Carlson, the Cardinals may be able to shoot even higher for guys like Clarke Schmidt or Drew Thorpe.

We do not want the Cardinals to hold onto Jack Flaherty beyond the deadline

It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but it would not be ideal if the Cardinals end up not finding a deal for Flaherty at the deadline.

Derrick Goold wrote about how the Cardinals asking price for Flaherty is high because they like the option of extending the qualifying offer and either having him back on a one-year deal or getting a draft pick in return. So they are not just going to get cents on the dollar for Flaherty.

It makes sense, so I support them holding onto him if a good deal isn't there, but if there is a great return to be had, they need to make it happen. Maybe pursue a reunion as a number three or four starter this offseason, but capitalizing on his value now would be most ideal.

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