3 St. Louis Cardinals trade rumors to shoot down

Just because the 2023 season isn't going well for the St. Louis Cardinals doesn't mean they should punt on 2024.

The last time the Redbirds had a losing record was 16 years ago when the '07 edition of this storied franchise went 78-84. Prior to that, you have to return to the previous millennium to find another losing record, as St. Louis went 75-86 in the 1999 campaign. Back-to-back sub-.500 years? That would be 1994-'95, two shortened seasons that were bad for the entire sport.

The reason to dig into the history books is to make this point very clear: The Cardinals don't rebuild. There are no five-year plans involving a total teardown of the Gateway City's beloved baseball franchise, no 100-loss campaigns (not a single one since 1908), no stockpiling of high draft picks with the hope of attaining glory well into the future.

And a key takeaway from this dedication to competition, this adherence to a philosophy of building a team that always contends (though one that also rarely is the very best of the best), is that St. Louis is not going to trade its best players this season, even if the current squad isn't good enough to make the playoff field that has expanded to six teams per league. If the Cardinals aren't good this year, the expectation is they'll be back in the running for a National League Central title next year.

Given that, some recent trade rumors need to be put to bed - immediately. Frustration with this iteration of the team may be high, but there's always next year. Always. With that clearly stated, let's see which players being bandied about in the rumor mill aren't going anywhere.

Everyday, everywhere, everyman Edman isn't going anywhere

Need a second baseman with a solid bat and a Gold Glove? The Cardinals have one. How about a shortstop who can pick it and also steal some bases? St. Louis has one of those, too. What about an outfielder - you can choose from a center fielder or a right fielder - who will give it everything he's got day in and day out? Yes, there's a Redbird who fits that description, too.

And guess what, they're all the same guy! Tommy Edman may not be a superstar. He may *only* be a solid all-around player a team can plug in at the top or bottom of the lineup, in at least half the defensive positions on the field, and rest comfortably knowing his combination of a solid bat, strong glovework, and aggressiveness on the basepaths will benefit his team in multiple ways.

Who wouldn't want a player like that? Are you kidding? Every team would be thrilled to have an Edman on its roster - including the St. Louis Cardinals. Sure, Paul DeJong plays a terrific shortstop, but his bat can turn ice-cold and stay that way for weeks, months, and years. Yes, Nolan Gorman is a thumper at the dish, but his glove...well, he's a bulky third baseman faking it at second because the Cards' other Nolan, Mr. Arenado, is simply one of the best third basemen ever.

So Edman provides both assurance and insurance. He's a known quantity, a good-not-great player in just his first season of arbitration eligibility making an affordable $4.3M. He's a guy you can rely upon when other players falter or come up lame. DeJong is sent to the minors? Put Edman at shortstop. Gorman is going to DH today? Put Edman at second base. Your entire Opening Day outfield is on the injured list? Put Edman anywhere on the grass he's needed.

The Cardinals are trying to figure out where all of their players fit in the lineup and on the field. And Edman's versatility helps them as they work out those plans. His acumen all over is valued more than ever throughout the game. He's the kind of player teams work hard to develop and hang onto, not the kind a team trades away.

The Cardinals need to acquire more starting pitchers, not send them packing

Cardinals starting pitching has been a problem this season. Three hurlers have ERAs around 4.00, which is rather indicative of mediocrity. The other four have ERAs well over 5.00, which is rather indicative of awfulness.

Two of those three solid starters are Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, and each is a free agent at season's end. A contract extension with Monty is still a possibility, but if you think Flaherty is likely to be a Cardinal in 2024, you don't know Jack.

And then there's Miles Mikolas. Is he exciting? No. He doesn't get boatloads of strikeouts, but he balances that out by being very stingy with walks. He generally keeps the team in the game, rarely dazzling but infrequently imploding.

There's value in such a pitcher, plenty of it. In fact, the Cardinals appreciated Mikolas' contributions enough to sign him to an extension that added $40M to his salary guarantees while tacking on two more seasons to his pact. With Steven Matz - who falls into the earlier "awful" category - the only other starting pitcher signed beyond this year, St. Louis is - and will be - looking for pitchers to take the ball every fifth game. They can't afford to deal one of their good contributors away.

Plus, there's the matter of that extension and what trading Mikolas just months after the ink dried would look like to other players, both current Cardinals and potential free-agent signees. Who wants to sign a long-term deal with a team that may send you elsewhere a short time later?

St. Louis' short-term needs and long-term reputation together dictate Miles Mikolas will be pitching in a Cardinals uniform this year and the start of the next, at the very least. And he'll have Goldschmidt and Edman to keep him company on those warm Midwest nights along the Mississippi River.