4 possible trade locations for Cardinals Dylan Carlson

Dylan Carlson has been rumored to be on the trade block this summer for the St. Louis Cardinals. Katie Woo of The Athletic mentioned him as a player who could draw interest in her latest mailbag (subscription required). It's not a guarantee that Carlson will be moved by July 30th, but as more players return from injuries, his time on the field is fading.

There are several teams who could be interested in Carlson. He's still only 25, he was once a top-15 prospect in baseball, he has been a very good hitter from the right side of the plate historically, and he provides above-average defense in the outfield.

Some playoff contenders might use Carlson as a 4th outfielder who can start against left-handed pitchers, while other non-contending teams would be interested to see if a change of scenery can unlock something in the switch-hitting outfielder.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves outfield has been decimated by injuries once again (Hello? Is this 2021 calling?). Ronald Acuna Jr. is out for the year, and Michael Harris II is out for at least a month. Therefore, the Braves are down to Forrest Wall, Jarred Kelenic, and Adam Duvall in the grass. That's not the most inspiring squad, and it isn't the collection of players that Braves fans expected in July.

Therefore, they'll need an outfielder this deadline. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos won't snag big-name players like Luis Robert Jr. or Jazz Chisholm; instead, he'll aim for replacement players like he did in 2021 with Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Soler. These placeholders helped lead the team to a World Series victory that year.

Carlson could pass up one of the incumbent outfielders on the depth chart, but his switch-hitting abilities would be welcome on a bench that features 4 right-handed batters. Wall and Kelenic are both lefties as well, so a platoon system could benefit all outfielders.

The Braves were able to unlock what was once in Jarred Kelenic, another former top prospect who struggled in Seattle. Perhaps they could do the same with Dylan Carlson. In return, the Cardinals could ask for a prospect in the higher levels of the Braves' pipeline -- a bottom-third farm system in baseball -- like RHP Drue Hackenberg.

Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels' season was over fairly early in the season. Shohei Ohtani left during free agency, and Mike Trout went down with a meniscus tear in late April. Despite a bit of a winning streak at the end of the month of June, the Angels are still likely to be sellers at the deadline due to a deficit that is tough to make up in both the division and the Wild Card.

What makes the Angels a good trade partner would be their willingness to be patient with a struggling player. Also, the Angels have at least one outfielder who is as good as gone in Taylor Ward. Ward's imminent departure opens up a spot for Dylan Carlson to fill. The Angels have run with Jo Adell in right field and Mickey Moniak in center since Trout's injury.

Once Trout returns, one of these two will have to go back to being a reserve, and neither is giving himself the upper hand. Carlson could supplant either, he could replace Taylor Ward should the right-handed outfielder be traded, or he could become the team's 4th outfielder. Regardless, the Angels could use another warm body to play in the outfield, and they can afford to let Carlson play out his struggles.

The Cardinals could ask for Jo Adell in exchange. Both he and Dylan Carlson are former top prospects who have not panned out well. Adell, too, is a free agent after the 2027 season. Adell's .187/.249/.396 slash line isn't inspirational by any means, but it's better than Carlson's. Dylan has a stronger track record of success; however, Adell's power profile is intriguing.

Another player on the Angels who could be an interesting trade candidate would be starting pitcher Reid Detmers. Detmers, 24, was demoted about a month ago after having a 6.14 ERA, 4.38 FIP, and 1.48 WHIP in 63 innings. Detmers has been a good mid-rotation starter for his career, but his walk rate and elevated home run rate this year were worrisome. He has a 5.70 ERA and he's struck out 12.3 batters per nine innings in 30 total innings in AAA this year.

Either Detmers or Adell would be interesting swap candidates should the Cardinals deal Carlson to Los Angeles.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are always desperate for able-bodied players on their roster. They've been a team in rebuild mode for years now, and their future isn't overly bright due to poor spending and trades in recent years.

Young outfielder Nolan Jones was supposed to come into his own this year and help lead the Rockies' offense, but he is slashing just .189/.295/.315 this year for a 69 OPS+. Brenton Doyle has been providing strong defense in center with a plus bat, and Jake Cave has been a league-average player in right field. Carlson won't replace any of these players at the moment, but he could down the road.

By himself, Carlson won't command a starting pitcher, especially one who has pitched as well as Cal Quantrill has this year. Quantrill, 28, has pitched quite well after being designated for assignment and subsequently traded by the Cleveland Guardians last year. He has a 3.78 ERA, 4.55 FIP, and a 1.301 WHIP in 95.1 innings. Quantrill won't rack up many strikeouts (6.8 per nine innings), but he's been able to keep his walk and home run rates under control for his career. He has historically been a serviceable mid-rotation starter.

If the Cardinals have their sights set on Quantrill, who is signed for $6.5 million and has one more year of control, they may have to include a low-end prospect to sweeten the deal. It's possible given Quantrill's lack of team control that a swap is fair.

The Rockies have a fairly deep prospect system with 5 players in MLB.com's top-100 list; the Cardinals could ask for Sterlin Thompson, a corner outfield prospect with a plus hit tool and arm, or they could ask for a package of players including LHP Carson Palmquist among others. Regardless, Carlson would provide value to the Rockies who can afford to let him figure out his offensive struggles at the major league level.