The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly gathering intel on Blake Snell

In past seasons, when the St. Louis Cardinals have reached the offseason, media, and fans link big names to the club as moves that should happen, but the Cardinals never end up showing any real interest in said moves. We may wanted them to be aggressive that way, but it was never in the cards for them.

Last offseason, names like Willson Contreras and Sean Murphy were heavily linked to them early on from sources close to the club, and wouldn't you know it, they almost traded for Murphy and opted to sign Contreras instead.

Names like Trea Turner, Carlos Rodon, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, and others were speculated by media and fans alike, but the Cardinals never showed real interest in them, which is why you never saw any true pursuits of them.

That's why I find the reporting recently to be very significant, as repudiable media like Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch are reporting real interest from the Cardinals in pitchers like Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray, meaning this isn't just fans "hoping" they consider those kinds of moves - it's the kinds of moves the Cardinals intend on trying to pull off. Blake Snell can now be added to that list as well, according to Goold in a chat he did recently.

They'll have discussions with Snell, and of course, and there has already some intel gathering on that end to see where and how he would fit, but also how far to go in the bidding to get him.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today put Snell on the Cardinals' "wish list" a little while back as well, so there is a lot of smoke beginning to build up here for St. Louis.

Actions will speak louder than words this offseason, so until the Cardinals actually pull off any of these bigger moves, John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt Jr. will be questioned every step of the way. Current reporting seems to indicate that they are ready to make significant changes, but the proof will be in the pudding.