The St. Louis Cardinals have long been thought to be sellers but the extent of which had been largely unknown for the bulk of the season.
Eventually, it was the consensus that St. Louis would ship off impending free agents and a select few others but keep their core intact. Now, it appears that the Los Angeles Dodgers are attempting to sway the Cardinals in another direction with an offer they might not be able to refuse.
"The Dodgers and Cardinals have engaged in conversations for a number of players including Nolan Arenado, though sources say a deal for the All-Star third baseman appears to be a long shot," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote Friday.
This report confirms a rumor initiated by the Los Angeles Times' Jorge Castillo from Thursday. The report also included some detailed information on what a trade could look like.
"The Cardinals would want young pitching in a deal; they have eyed Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot, and Emmet Sheehan in talks," Castillo said. "A trade would also likely include the Dodgers sending Max Muncy or Chris Taylor, if not both, to St. Louis."
Miller (6-1, 4.28 ERA with Dodgers), Stone (Dodgers' No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), Pepiot (No. 7) and Sheehan (No. 6) are all highly regarding young pitchers while Muncy and/or Taylor would be short-term stopgaps.
The Cardinals are unlikely to take the bait, as their plan has been to retool for 2024 and Arenado is the face of their franchise. However, if the Dodgers were willing to give up four highly-touted pitching prospects, it would be hard to pass up.
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