Versatile free agent could fill roster need after anticipated Cardinals trade

The St. Louis Cardinals had a pitching domino fall in the trade market when they shipped Sonny Gray to Boston and probably hold the keys to the next wave of transactions. Armed with the most popular trade target in the league, the Cardinals could have a utility opening to be filled if and when Brendan Donovan is sent out of St. Louis.

Willi Castro could be the Cardinals' next Brendan Donovan-lite

Recently, Chaim Bloom noted that the Cardinals were not looking to trade Donovan for nothing and would only be willing to send him elsewhere for the right price. I, personally, still see Donovan being traded somewhat soon as the Cardinals look to finalize their path into a true rebuild, which could open up a spot on the 26-man roster for another super utility player.

During Donnie's tenure with the Cardinals, he has appeared in multiple positions around the diamond and has been honored for his ability to handle many different gloves. His flexibility has allowed him to find a way into the lineup every day, no matter the position. When he is dealt, as I predict, St. Louis will have an opening in that role, even though it may not be in the everyday manner that Donovan filled that spot.

After a deal, it seems that JJ Wetherholt and/or Nolan Gorman could fill Donovan's spot on the infield, but again, the Cardinals would miss that defensive flexibility to allow for many different lineup combinations. In order to get back to that strength, free agent Willi Castro could be an option to take that roster spot. The 29-year-old Castro spent two-and-a-half successful seasons with Minnesota before being dealt to the rival Chicago Cubs at last year's deadline.

The switch-hitter played six different positions last year, spending nearly equal time at second base and right field among the other spots. After failing to take off in Detroit, Castro went to Minnesota, where he became an above-average hitter who possessed solid slug and speed anywhere in the field. While he was never a stellar defender at any position, Castro can handle those six spots just fine while providing positive offensive value. That was what the Cubs thought when they acquired him at this year's deadline, but Castro was unable to replicate his success while with Chicago and fell into a part-time role during the team's playoff push.

His disappointing end to the season, along with his overall average abilities on both sides of the ball might limit his market this offseason. That is something that could fall into the Cardinals' favor if Castro's market dries up and he needs a place to go to regain his value. Currently, MLB Trade Rumors projects him for a two-year, $14 million deal, which is right around Donovan's price for the next two seasons. A deal of Donnie could return some high-level prospects and his roster spot could be filled with a comparable dollar value, while everyday playing time would still be given to Wetherholt or Gorman. If Gorman were to continue to struggle or Wetherholt was left in Memphis for the start of the season, Castro could become a short-term everyday player. Depending on his success, he could play his way into trade talks or a bigger payday if he were to take a short-term, low-cost contract with the Cardinals.