5 potential trade destinations for St. Louis Cardinals' Dylan Carlson

The St. Louis Cardinals have many things that contenders want this trade deadline: controllable young talent, high-end prospects, and skilled relievers. There is a plethora of players who could be dealt this trade deadline. One such player is Dylan Carlson.

Once the top prospect in the system and the 13th-best prospect in all of MLB as recent as 2020, Carlson has had a fine major league career up to this point. He is slashing .246/.326/.402 for his career with an OPS+ of 103, slightly above average. His defense, according to some metrics, has been strong as well, particularly in center field. He continually logs plus seasons in multiple innings in center. Meanwhile, his right-field defense is slightly below average. His main flaw defensively is his outfield jump.

With Tommy Edman proving more than capable in center and Jordan Walker showing promise offensively in right, Carlson appears to be a commodity worth trading. He could fetch quite a return, as he is still only 24 and has 3.5 years of team control left.

Let's take a look at five potential destinations for Carlson and the possible return. Not many players of his position, skill, and age have been dealt in the past, so it will be tough to find comparable trade values. It is safe to assume he would garner a player of similar team control who is currently in the majors or a AAA prospect in another organization who is strong but not elite. Using these assumptions, we can find a handful of teams and trades for Carlson alone.

A Bader-for-Montgomery trade package seems likely, two players with similar team control that fill a need for the other trade partner. These five teams all have a need that Dylan Carlson could fill very easily for them. They also have pieces that would fill a need the Cardinals currently have: starting pitching.

Miami Marlins

The Cardinals and Marlins have been linked as trade partners for at least two years now. The Marlins have ample starting pitching both in the majors and the minors, and the Cardinals have ample depth players in the field. A swap of strengths has seemed inevitable for a while now. Miami averages 4.17 runs per game this season, so an offensive upgrade is necessary as they continue their push for the postseason.

The Marlins currently employ Bryan De La Cruz, Jesus Sanchez, and Dane Myers in the outfield. Once Jazz Chisholm returns from injury, it is presumed that he will return to center field for the team. Jorge Soler also figures to fill in time in the outfield when he isn't in the DH spot.

While Carlson won't play every game in the outfield for the Marlins, he stands to be a strong platoon player for them and a fourth outfielder who can come in and play strong defense for them (only Jesus Sanchez has a positive defensive runs saved number). He also provides certainty in future years, as Soler is a free agent after next year.

Prediction: Dylan Carlson to the Marlins, Jesus Luzardo to the Cardinals

Minnesota Twins

The Twins have a very strong starting rotation. Their offense, however, has been poor. As a team, they have a WRC+ of 99, just below league average. The need for an offensive boost to a team that averages just 4.18 runs per game is evident.

Byron Buxton is entrenched as the designated hitter due to his injury history, Michael A. Taylor plays strong center field defense but has a .216/.263/.401 slash line and Max Kepler isn't much better in right field. Carlson is an immediate offensive upgrade over those two players currently seeing consistent innings in the outfield.

Dylan would be a young, controllable, effective player for a Twins team that is desperate for an influx of offensive firepower. He provides an above-average bat that can replace Michael A. Taylor in the outfield while still being a strong defender. The Twins may be the best trade partner for the Cardinals currently.

Prediction: Dylan Carlson to the Twins, Joe Ryan OR Jordan Balazovic to the Cardinals

Kansas City Royals

The much-maligned Royals haven't had the season they anticipated. Their young players haven't developed the way they planned, particularly their pitchers. The Royals are very much in sell mode as they search for prospects to beef up their farm system. Controllable major leaguers are also in their sights. Carlson would fill the second void for them.

The Royals have MJ Melendez (73 OPS+), Kyle Isbel (68 OPS+), and Drew Waters (79 OPS+) currently roaming the grass; Dylan presents an immediate upgrade at any of the three outfield spots. His offensive numbers are much better than any of the three the Royals are fielding at the moment.

The Royals don't have much in the farm system that would be attractive to the Cardinals. They do, however, have some interesting rotation pieces that could be had for a fair price. Kris Bubic would have been an interesting return for Carlson, but he's currently injured. There is one more pitcher that could be had: Brady Singer. He is their "ace", but I'm sure the Royals would be willing to part with him for the right player in exchange.

Prediction: Dylan Carlson to the Royals, Brady Singer to the Cardinals.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are in a similar position as the Royals; both teams expected to see growth from their promoted prospects this season. While the Tigers have an outside chance at winning the abysmal AL Central, it is still unlikely. Therefore, they should look to offload some players who can bring strong returns.

Riley Greene was one of the best prospects in baseball just two years ago. He seems to have figured it out this year, as he is leading the Tigers in all major offensive categories. Matt Vierling, one of the players they received in exchange for their All-Star closer, Gregory Soto, is having a strong season for the Tigers in the corner outfield. Furthermore, Vierling's defensive numbers are below average. One spot they could upgrade in would be Akil Baddoo's spot. His defense is supreme, but his offense could use some help.

Given a lack of offense in one corner and a lack of defense in another, Carlson could be a nice rotation piece for the Detroit Tigers outfield. Luckily, the Tigers have a fair amount of pitching they can trade from.

Prediction: Dylan Carlson to the Tigers, Tarik Skubal to the Cardinals