Make Your Trades This Winter

[PadsFS07]

I'm not particular about who they trade or which SP they get, but when ST starts two of Donny/Noot/Gorman/Burly need to be gone, and one of Crooks/Pages/Pozo too.

Pozo is an easy DFA. Crooks to AAA and Pages as one of the catchers (with Herrera possibly?) Pages would be fine as the primary CA if we didn't have poor hitting at 3B, RF, and CF also...maybe SS too.

I would actually like if they added JP Realmuto as a free agent catcher. He would be a Berkman/Beltran like signing that could force Herrera off the position and help ease Crooks/Bernal into the spot, but I don't see them adding him on a Yadi-like 3yr/$45-60M deal that he will probably get.

[Detroit Louie]

I'm not normally one who believes that we should do a "Herzog" and have massive upheaval of the roster, but if there is a time for that, this is the time. The Cardinals should make their trades this winter because by next winters' Winter Meetings there will be a lockout. There will be no trades. I expect the looming lockout to even have some impact at the trade deadline next summer. If you are going to reshape the roster, do it now. Fans are expecting, and will accept major change this winter. Go for it.

Here is how I see it playing out.

Arenado is traded for next to no return with the cardinals covering a large portion of his remaining salary.

I think Contreras is traded and the return is a prospect in the 10-19 range and a second prospect in the 25-40 range. Cardinals eat some money.

I think they deal Noot and possibly add Crooks or Bernal to get pitching close or already in the majors and a minor league OF.

I think they move Gorman in a change of scenery trade where they take back a pitcher or outfielder in a similar situation of needing a change of scenery to reset.

I think they hold onto Donovan and Walker.

On the pitching end, this is a bad area to deal from as there is next to nothing ready in the minors to step in. Several of their top pitching prospects are going to miss some or most of the year injured. Others missed most of last year and won’t be ready.

Matthews took a massive step backwards and is not ready. Way too early to plug in Doyle. Hence is still a distance away.

I think they try to move Gray but find teams not wanting to take on the money or deal prospects. I think he is in the rotation to start the year and is dealt at the deadline when a Matthews is closer to ready. This allows the financial hit to the other team to decrease.

I fully expect Mikolas to comeback on a cheap one year deal to eat innings buying time for the minor leaguers. I wouldn’t do it, but fully expect them to.

Romero will be traded at the deadline. Maton is back on a one-year deal and dealt at the deadline.

I see a rotation to start the year on Gray, Libby, Mikolas, McGreevy and Pallante battling trade acquisition(s) for the fifth spot.

Good summary. I don’t see them bringing Mikolas back, but yes, a journeyman free agent pitcher for the rotation. I think Leahy beats out Pallante to start the season. If Maton returns he gets multi-years. I doubt it is from the Cards. Bloom will get at least two new bullpen guys in his trades. Finally, we need an outfield thumper. One of the trades will yield a Noot substitute to start the season, but one of the minor league OF prospects will come up after the season starts.