Playing "shop, listen to offers, or keep" on the St. Louis Cardinals' young bats

Shop: Dylan Carlson

I like every player on this list. Honestly, I think Dylan Carlson has not gotten a fair shake as a Cardinal. But with how the Cardinals continue to use him as the club's fourth outfielder, I'd rather them capitlzie on his trade value then relegate him to such a role.

If they were willing to commit to him as an everyday outfielder, I'd put him in the "listen to offers" category, but if they do not plan to do so, he has to be shopped.

Carlson, since retuning from the IL on June 9th, has slashed .244/.416/.385 (.801 OPS), 16.8% walk rate, 19.8% strikeout rate, and a 135 wRC+. Most of his damage continues to be against left-handed pitching, but it's fair to say Carlson just has not gotten enough run against right-handed pitching to know what he truly is.

Yes, he's gotten a lot of MLB plate appearances against them, but last year he dealt with a significant wrist injury, and this year, after making changes to his swing and putting on muscle, he has never gotten the extended run needed to show if he can be better.

Now, I also see the arguments that people make about Carlson's inability to hit right-handed pitching just being who he is. I get it, I've felt that way before too, and it seems to be how the Cardinals feel about him. If that's the case, they might as well shop him around.

There appears to be strong interest around the league, with the New York Yankees being one team that seems to be a strong match.

Check out my weekly podcast "Redbird Rundown" on Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well as follow me on Twitter @joshjacoMLB for more Cardinals content