The St. Louis Cardinals likely will be busy in the trade market this offseason.
St. Louis already has added three new starters to help bolster the rotation but there is still work to be done. The Cardinals could use another starter but likely would only add another one through a trade. St. Louis also needs to improve the bullpen this offseason.
Multiple Cardinals players have been floated in trade talks but the two most likely trade candidates for the club reportedly are Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.
"In terms of potential trade pieces, Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson remain the most likely candidates to be moved, and teams have inquired about 25-year-old Alex Burleson," Woo said. "The Cardinals prefer to offload at least one outfielder to relieve themselves of a logjam but are not making Lars Noobaar or Jordan Walker available."
This isn't surprising. Both O'Neill and Carlson have been mentioned in trade rumors extensively and it sounds like at least one of them will be traded away this offseason. Both O'Neill and Carlson could have solid trade value and help bring in a pitcher for the Cardinals if they are combined in a bigger package.
St. Louis has a surplus of outfielders and needs more pitching. The Cardinals could get exactly what they need by making a trade involving either O'Neill or Carlson. It's unclear exactly what will happen, but we may have seen the last of the duo in a Cardinals uniform.
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