7 trades that could entice the Cardinals to move Tommy Edman or Dylan Carlson

The St. Louis Cardinals need to figure out what they are going to do with outfielders Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson. Both are the subject of trade rumors for different reasons, and it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see either dealt before the trade deadline.

Every passing hour brings the Cardinals closer to needing to finalize these decisions, and either outfielder could be moved for future assets or win-now pieces. Here are seven different ideas that seemed plausible for the Cardinals to consider between now and Tuesday's deadline.

Dodgers trade package

The Dodgers are a team that has been connected to Tommy Edman, and if the Cardinals did move him there, my guess is that it would be for prospect capital, rather than a win-now push.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Cardinals would be full-blown sellers with the rest of their moves. One reason they could convince themselves to sell on Edman would be recouping capital for their system if they were to go after an Erick Fedde or someone else who would require them to dip into their system. It would be similar to what we've heard the Rays will keep considering - some moves that are "buying" and some moves that are "selling".

With all of the injuries the Dodgers have had this year, Edman would be an excellent fit for their roster. He can slot in for them in center field, shortstop, or second base depending on the day, and he's under team control for next year as well. The bottom of the Dodgers lineup is weaker than you'd think, so Edman's bat would also be a welcomed addition.

For the Cardinals, losing Edman would be a blow to the club in the immediate future. While he has not played at all this year, the hope remains that he can come back in the next few weeks and really help this club with one of its biggest weaknesses - hitting left-handed pitching. Well, if the club is tired of "waiting and seeing", they could take advantage of the interest that is out there for him.

Jackson Ferris is a very intriguing prospect in the Dodgers who currently sits just outside their top 10 prospects according to Baseball America, but I imagine he'd slide in much higher for the Cardinals. At just 20 years old and pitching in High-A for the Dodgers, Ferris is likely multiple years away from making an impact at the MLB level, but his upside is something the Cardinals may be incentivized to move Edman for. There are real questions about Ferris' delivery, but he has two plus pitches in his fastball and curveball and a potential third plus pitch with his slider.

Ferris would another high-upside starting pitching prospect to the Cardinals' system alongside Tink Hence, Quinn Mathews, and Cooper Hjerpe, something that would continue to strengthen their long-term outlook. But why would they move Edman for a prospect if they want to contend?

They could look at this move as Edman basically being a free asset to them right now. What is more valuable? Turning him into a high-upside pitching prospect or adding him to their roster? If they believe their hitting woes truly rise and fall on what Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado look like this second half, then maybe his potential return offensively isn't as important as it may seem. And defensively, Michael Siani and Masyn Winn have locked down those positions this year.

I don't think this would happen if I'm being honest, but if talks with the Dodgers did progress, this is where I would imagine they would go.

Blue Jays trade packages

Yes, I've got two trade ideas here with the Blue Jays. The first is perirenal Cy Young contender Kevin Gausman, who happens to look nothing like that version of himself this year.

While reporting seems to indicate that the Blue Jays plan on holding onto Gausman and other arms with control to compete next year, let's not forget how out of the blue the Yankees deal was in 2022 when the Cardinals flipped injured Harrison Bader for Jordan Montgomery and his year and a half of control. The reason for this trade would be different than that one, but the point is, sometimes stuff you don't think would happen becomes possible when new trade pieces are brought to the table.

For Toronto, I have a very difficult time gauging the value of Gausman. On one hand, he is an aging starting pitcher who is on a big contract and having a down year with concerning underlying metrics, and on the other hand, Gausman is just one year removed from being awesome. What does Toronto value more? Moving the remaining money for this year and the $46 million owed to him the next two seasons? Or do they value the idea of running it back with him and seeing if he can recapture his former self?

Maybe an asset like Edman could change their mind. Their outfield has been in flux this year and Bo Bichette's future seems murky at best. If St. Louis was willing to take on the majority of Gausman's contract, I think the value of Edman and freeing up all of that cash could be worthwhile for them.

If the Blue Jays are not inclined to move Gausman, I really do feel like moving Bassit's deal could make a ton of sense for them. Bassit is under contract next season for $22 million and then is a free agent after the 2025 season, so much like the Bader-Montgomery trade, the Cardinals and Blue Jays would be swapping players with a year and a half of control.

Bassit has been solid this year, posting a 3.78 ERA in 21 starts for Toronto. Honestly, I think Edman would be a bit of an overpay for Bassit, but it's really hard to gauge how teams view him and his wrist injury. Bassit would help the Cardinals down the stretch this season and then would be under contract and in their rotation for 2025 as well.

Of the two, I'd be much more willing to talk Gausman, but I am keeping my eye out on Bassit. It feels like a Cardinals thing to do.

Rays trade package

This is probably an underpay from the Cardinals' standpoint, so they may need to attach a pitching prospect or two to this deal (no, not Hence or Mathews level), but I do think it is worth considering for St. Louis.

I've talked about Pete Fairbanks a lot already, as I think he would be an excellent fit in the back of the Cardinals' bullpen and has multiple years of control remaining. The Rays are not going to move him just to move him, but they may like the idea of adding a player like Edman for both the current state of contention and their 2025 outlook as well.

Edman feels like a Tampa Bay Ray in so many ways. He is versatile, undervalued by most, has a few strengths they can work to maximize, and is really affordable next season as well. It would be odd to see them deal away someone with more control for Edman, but Fairbanks is a reliever, and Edman can help them every single day (when healthy).

While Edman's fight to get back on the field this year has been long and messy, he's not someone who carries a lengthy injury history, so chances are he's back to being a very dependable player sometime this season and in 2025 as well. The Rays can also move him later on if needed, but I do think he could give them an option to move around for the remainder of the year and next year.

St. Louis would be turning someone who has not contributed all year into a high-end reliever, which is an interesting way to avoid parting with significant prospect capital and to upgrade your team immediately without parting with a current contributor. There is an argument that adding a really good reliever would have the single most profound impact on this team since that really good starter or bat is likely not happening.

Marlins trade package

Trevor Rogers for Dylan Carlson feels right to me. The pair finished second and third respectively in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, and since then, both have fallen off in major ways.

Rogers, I would argue, has more value than Carlson right now, so I do think it could take a kicker from St. Louis to pull it off. Since that 2021 campaign where he posted a 2.64 ERA in 25 starts while striking out almost 11 batters per nine innings, his swing and miss has fallen off dramatically, his velocity is down two miles per hour, and he is not nearly as effective at run prevention. Still, Rogers has made 21 starts this year and has a 4.53 ERA to show for it. While that is a back-of-the-rotation starter, that is more valuable than a bench outfielder who doesn't play.

For St. Louis, it would be a lousy way to sell the fanbase that the rotation is getting better, but it would provide them with another option for this year and the future. Rogers would be more helpful than what Carlson gives them right now, but he could not be their "answer" for the rotation in the here and now.

If the market for Carlson does not bring them any relievers of value though, it would be worth turning their attention to someone like Rogers in my opinion. We know the Cardinals do not trust their Triple-A depth arms right now, so Rogers is at least an upgrade over that.

Carlson, as he would with the White Sox, would get the chance to play every day for a bad Marlins team and see if he can revitalize his career with Skip Schumaker in South Beach. I don't believe Schumaker will be with the club after the 2024 season, so I doubt he has influence on this decision, but I do think Miami is a team that should be looking to take a flyer on Carlson for the sake of their future. They have tons of pitching that will be coming off the injured list for the 2025 season, so parlaying Rogers into an outfielder, especially after losing Jazz Chisholm Jr., would make a lot of sense.

Athletics trade package

Paul Blackburn has been linked to the Cardinals for years now, so maybe this is the time to actually pull it off. Again, it would not fly as the Cardinals' answer to their rotation woes, but he could provide them with innings in 2024 and beyond that make it worth moving Carlson and Michael McGreevy.

Blackburn is what he is, a back-of-the-rotation starter. That's a helpful piece to have, but the Cardinals already have at least three, if not four of those, in their rotation as things currently stand. The problem with those names is that they are all in their mid to late 30s for St. Louis, so Blackburn would present them with a bit younger of an option to stabilize things.

Blackburn is 30 years old with another year of team control and would absolutely love having the Cardinals' defense behind him every game. As a ground ball pitcher, Blackburn lives and dies based on batted ball luck and the defenders behind him, and I do think he'd have more success in St. Louis.

Again, I'm trying to put together things I could see the Cardinals doing with Edman or Carlson, and let's be honest, this seems like something they'd love to do with Carlson if they could. It gives them flexibility next year in whether or not they pick up Kyle Gibson and/or Lance Lynn's options and have someone who might be a hair better at a smaller number.

Not sure if Oakland would do it or not, but it does feel right for St. Louis.

Angels trade package

I don't want to talk about this one. I did not want to put it into the universe. But again, it feels like something St. Louis would do.

I. Do. Not. Believe. In. Tyler. Anderson. The price point here isn't crazy, but I just don't see the appeal with him. I get he was an All-Star this year, but just know I'll be shocked if he keeps that up the rest of this year and into 2025.

Yes, into 2025. Anderson is under contract for 2025 as well, and at $13 million nonetheless. I'm good. Don't feel the need to pay him like that going forward. In fact, I'd be more interested in him if he were a rental.

Okay, I'm done venting. You can see my full thoughts on why Anderson would be a bad pickup for St. Louis here. But they are consistently linked to him, and again, it feels like something they'd want to do.

Anderson gives them rotation assurance should a starter go down, and honestly, he's at least better than Lance Lynn right now. My fear is that Andre Pallante would be the starter who gets the boot from their rotation, but he's actually been the best of the bunch since he joined the rotation in May.

The Angels do feel like a great landing spot for Carlson though. He's from California and will get to play in a market that does not get a lot of attention, and like Miami and Chicago, he will have plenty of playing time available to him. Zack Thompson would give Los Angeles an arm with control who they can slot into their rotation or bullpen for the coming years.

I don't like it, but I would not be surprised to see this move happen.