4 position players the Cardinals could trade for this offseason

In his one of most recent chats, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was asked if the St. Louis Cardinals should target a top-of-the-rotation pitcher to pair with Sonny Gray or find a "big bopper" position player this offseason. Ideally, as Goold stated, both should be acquired. However, he went on to say that a "tentpole" hitter -- someone who can slot into the heart of a batting order -- would likely be acquired via trade rather than free agency.

Therefore, it feels logical for the Cardinals to trade for a tentpole bat this offseason. Lately, the front office has been hesitant to trade its prospects. Instead, John Mozeliak has opted to build up the farm system with trades of veterans, particularly at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. This year, Mozeliak finagled trades to improve the team without trading any of the organization's top prospects.

There could be several key position players available this offseason via trade. Making offseason trades for big-name players has been John Mozeliak's modus operandi of late. He's worked trades during the offseason for players like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and others. The same could happen this offseason.

It's been rumored that payroll will be frozen or possibly cut this offseason. Therefore, player acquisition will be difficult even with over $50 million coming off the books from free agents this offseason. Acquiring players via trade allows a little more financial flexibility, particularly if the opposing team sends cash over to help offset the financial differences should the Cardinals trade prospects instead of major league players.

First base, outfield, and even designated hitter are all positions the Cardinals could improve, but a utility infielder to pair with Brendan Donovan, Thomas Saggese, Masyn Winn, and Nolan Gorman next year wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Here are 4 "tentpole" bats that the Cardinals can acquire this offseason via trade.

1B Yandy Diaz

With the possible departure of Paul Goldschmidt this offseason, the Cardinals could look to replace him with a player from outside of the organization. Luken Baker and Alec Burleson appear to be Goldy's replacements, but Burly could feasibly play outfield and DH most days, and Baker could also be the team's primary designated hitter who also plays first base on occasion.

If John Mozeliak looks outside the organization for improvements, first baseman Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays could be a perfect fit. Diaz, 33, has two more years of team control following 2024 thanks to his three-year, $24 million contract he signed last season to buy out his arbitration years. He's owed $8 million next year, and he has a $12 million club option for 2026. This isn't an expensive contract, and he can be cut fairly easily after next year if he doesn't perform well in St. Louis.

Diaz is a career .289/.373/.434 hitter with a 126 OPS+ over eight years. He was an All-Star last year, and he won the batting title in the American League with a .330 average. He's never been known for his power, as he has a career ISO of just .145. However, his ability to make contact has always been strong.

This year, Diaz has taken a step back with a .284/.341/.420 slash line to go along with 14 home runs and 65 runs batted in for an OPS+ of 117. He does not strike o often (15.1% K rate), but his walk rate has fallen to just 7.7% this year. Diaz also doesn't grade out as positively defensively as Goldschmidt has in his career, but he's close to a neutral defender nonetheless.

Since we're talking about dealing with the Tampa Bay Rays, an organization that John Mozeliak has become familiar with these past five years (see Randy Arozarena, Richie Palacios, and Dylan Carlson), Mo should tread lightly in negotiations. The Cardinals could get by with sending prospects, particularly ones around the 7-15 range organizationally to the Rays for their veteran first baseman.

2B Brandon Lowe

This deal only makes perfect sense if the Cardinals trade Nolan Gorman this offseason and use Thomas Saggese as a utility infielder. If St. Louis intends on keeping Gorman and not using Saggese fully, then acquiring Brandon Lowe feels like a foolish move.

Lowe, 30, bats from the left side of the plate, and he's been known to display a lot of power throughout his career. He has a career .238 ISO, and he hit 39 home runs as recently as 2021 for the Tampa Bay Rays. Health has always been an issue for Lowe; he's played more than 109 games just once in his seven-year career. But when he's been healthy, he's been an elite offensive player.

After a slow start to the year, Lowe has turned it around quite nicely. He has a .244/.321/.482 slash line with a .343 wOBA and 18 home runs in just 94 games. His strikeout rate has always floated around 25% for his career, but his walk rate this year has fallen marginally to just 8.9%. One would like to see a greater balance between these two figures even with his extreme power output.

Brandon Lowe has never been an extremely streaky hitter, as his OPS has never dropped below .731 in any given month for his career, and his slugging percentage has always remained above .400. This is a welcome change for a power-hitting second baseman, as Nolan Gorman, the team's usual power-hitting second baseman, can be prone to heavy slumps.

Lowe grades out as a neutral defender according to defensive runs saved, ultimate zone rating, and outs above average, so his work on that side of the game isn't a concern. He's nearing the end of a six-year, $24 million contract that he signed in 2019; there are two more years remaining, and they're both club options valued at $10.5 million and $11.5 million. Once again, we are talking about the Rays here, so the Cardinals' brass should operate carefully.

DH/OF Brent Rooker

Wouldn't this be nice? The Cardinals' 2024 manager, be it Oliver Marmol or someone else, could plug Brent Rooker in as the team's designated hitter every day and not think twice about it.

Rooker will turn 30 in November, so he's definitely what most would call a "late bloomer". He didn't debut until he was almost 26, but he's made up for the lost time these past two seasons. After slow starts with the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, and Kansas City Royals, Rooker has found a home with the Oakland Athletics. He has spent most of his time as a designated hitter, but he's also played a little bit of corner outfield for the A's.

This year, Rooker is slashing .298/.370/.578 with 36 home runs and 103 runs batted in. He has a crazy .947 OPS and a 170 OPS+. It's not hyperbolic to say that Brent Rooker has been one of the best pure hitters in all of baseball this year. It's taken him some time to discover his power stroke, but he seems to have tapped into something these past two years offensively.

In just 102.1 innings in the outfield this year, Rooker has accumulated -2 defensive runs saved and -3 outs above average. If the Cardinals acquire him this offseason, he should be used sparingly in the outfield. Given the fact that the Cardinals have at least five players who could plausibly play the outfield next year, his time out there probably won't be necessary.

The one-time All-Star will enter arbitration for the first time next year, so he still has three more years of team control. A player with his offensive profile and team control won't come cheap; to acquire Brent Rooker, at least one of the organization's top prospects will have to go. Perhaps John Mozeliak can get creative and send some major league players over as well to entice the A's.