One-time top-prospect Dylan Carlson could use a fresh start

The MLB Trade Deadline season is in full swing. St. Louis Cardinals fans hope President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak pulls off a big move for starting pitching, a reliever, and a power-hitting outfielder. Cardinal fans don't ask for much. However, one thing Mozeliak should consider during this deadline is moving on from Dylan Carlson.

Carlson was once one of the top prospects in the Cardinals organization. He was the team's first-round draft choice in 2016 out of Elk Grove High School in California. He made his debut in the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season.

He has struggled to remain healthy throughout his entire playing career. Even when healthy, he struggles at the plate and in the field. This frustrates a fan base that wants nothing more than for Carlson to be a successful Cardinal for life.

Carlson started Friday's game against the Washington Nationals. He was zero-for-four with three strikeouts—just terrible. And then he made a catastrophic mistake while patrolling right field. The bases were loaded for Jacob Young, with Ryan Fernandez on the mound in the tenth inning.

Young tripled on a line drive to Carlson, scoring Nasim Nuñez, Luis García Jr., and Trey Lipscomb.

The path Carlson took, combined with the mistimed leap, was terrible to see. The Cardinals had been up 6-3 at one point in the game. The Nationals tied it up at six. Carlson's blunder made the game 9-6. The Nationals ended up winning 10-8. Paul Goldschmidt homered in the tenth inning on a liner to left-center field, scoring Willson Contreras. It was Goldschmidt's 2,000th career hit. Sadly, much of the crowd had departed before seeing the milestone. So frustrating. So disappointing.

So far this season, Carlson is hitting .207/.286/.250 with an OPS of .536. In 57 games, he has five doubles, 12 runs, and 11 RBI. He has zero home runs. He makes $2.35 million this season and will be arbitration-eligible in 2025. He'll be a free agent in 2027.

While he may not net the haul he could have at one point, it's time for the Cardinals to move on from Carlson. He could benefit from a change in scenery to a place where he can get consistent playing time, which he needs to improve. The Cardinals have several outfield options that are better for the team if they want to make a successful journey back into the postseason. It would be worth the chance if he could net a hitter or some pitching.