One trade candidate from every MLB team the Cardinals should consider

As the St. Louis Cardinals enter the offseason, one thing is clear: They need pitching. With Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz the only two pitchers assured of a rotation spot in 2024, neither of whom can be deemed reliable, the door is wide open for the other three spots. 

The top of the free agent class among pitchers this year comprises Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray and Blake Snell. The Cardinals will ideally be in on one or more of these hurlers, but free agency isn't the only way they can acquire a pitcher. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said the team will attempt to get three pitchers from outside the organization, and as the Cardinals have a plethora of talent on the position player side, especially in the infield, they could afford to flip a player or two for some help in the rotation.

The bullpen could use some tinkering as well, as Giovanny Gallegos had a down season by his standards, and Ryan Helsley was unable to recapture his 2022 form.

While not every team makes perfect sense as a trade partner with the Cardinals, I will attempt to make a case for one player from each team who could make sense for the Cardinals to acquire in a trade. The vast majority of players will, unsurprisingly, be pitchers given the Cardinals’ desperate need for arms, but there are a couple of teams where a position player seems more applicable to the Cardinals, especially the teams who have the same strengths and weaknesses as the Cardinals.

Here is one player from each major league team who could fit the Cardinals.