4 possible trade locations for Cardinals Dylan Carlson

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.