STLtoday.com

Trading Herrera, at this stage, would be surprising.

Shady wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 16:12 pm Trading Herrera, at this stage, would be surprising.

Tiny surprise.

Until we think about the number of catchers
that are in the system and Herrera's current position is DH.

Strummer Jones wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 14:00 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 13:01 pm None, zero, zilch. No blockbuster trades, and no, NA does not count. The Cardinals are not in a position to make a big deal. They don't have a surplus of great talent anywhere, and the players that are available don't warrant an All-Star in return, probably not even in a package deal. A series of small deals to get rid of clutter is what the Cardinals are looking at this offseason.

This is the correct answer. And that's not on Bloom--this mess was not his making.

The way I see it, Bloom's job this offseason is to clean up the mess, but set us up for a blockbuster deal when the time is right. And unless some CRAZY stuff happens, that time won't be this offseason. At best, it'll be next offseason.

agree SJ

Libby amd Winn or Libby amd Herrera in a package

How about Sonny Gray, Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker and $20 million for Austin Riley

Shady wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 10:47 am

ramfandan wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 10:39 am If you had to pick one trade this winter by Bloom that will surprise most MLB observers, what might that be ?

A deal that MLB TV analyst/ insiders (Heyman, Olney, etc.)
may call a ‘blockbuster’ deal

Burleson for Skenes. LOL

Did you wet your diaper laughing at your own bad joke?

renostl wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 14:41 pm

ramfandan wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 10:39 am If you had to pick one trade this winter by Bloom that will surprise most MLB observers, what might that be ?

A deal that MLB TV analyst/ insiders (Heyman, Olney, etc.)
may call a ‘blockbuster’ deal

The most surprising might well be Gray.
He is owed so much money, and the team is so vacant with pitching as
of today.

The blockbuster criteria is a bit different. Any name going either direction would get that title.

Winn, Herrera, WC, BD, NA, Gray would do that from the Cards side. But
of that group only being able to move Gray surprises.

How about Donovan+ for Cantillo or Bibee?

That’s not how Cleveland operates.

My position has been and remains that Bloom could move Winn for pitching and slot Wetherholt at SS

Surprising would be any trade including Winn or Herrera. Both of those guys are young enough they can be core players and can improve.

Three years ago, I would have been salivating over getting Austin Riley as some suggested on this thread. Players that suffer injuries like he has the last two years may recover, they may not. Given the money he is owed, no way this ownership takes on that contract.

I expect Gray to be traded. Teams need pitching, even if he is not an ace. Arenado is 50/50 in my view. He is bad enough now, I am not certain any team really wants him without salary relief that will be unpalatable to owners.

I expect one of Pages or Crooks to be traded. I expect two of Gorman, Saggese, Fermin and Donovan to be traded. I expect 1 of Church or Scott to be traded. I expect Hence to be traded. I think Walker is 50/50. If all that happens, that is a lot of roster reshaping, which will likely involve prospects in return. 2026 should give us a reasonable idea of how well Bloom did. If it looks good, people will still complain, but there will be hope. If it looks bad, the Bloom honeymoon will be short...

They have no players who would rate being a blockbuster. The most surprising trades would involve Winn or Wetherholt.

I can see a surprise deal that many here will bemoan where Donovan and Walker are dealt for 2 high end prospects with little to no ML experience.

He fires II and III.

JuanAgosto wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 19:14 pm They have no players who would rate being a blockbuster. The most surprising trades would involve Winn or Wetherholt.

I think they intend to build around W and W up the middle. I mean no one is off limits but I don't think there is any plan to see what they would bring.

My guess is they are trying to build up the middle with whoever turns out the best of the catchers, W and W 2b and SS, and they are HOPING VS hits enough to keep the CF job. That leaves the corner positions to add offense replacing Wilson and Arenado at the corner IF and Noot-Walker OF corners. They could keep 2 of the four but need serious offensive upgrades at least two positions. My choice would be keep Contreras, see if one of Gorman/Sagesse can hit every day. ANd replace Noot/Walker with FAs or Burleson/Herrera (only one can't have both in the OF) and one SERIOUS FA addition.

The biggest "surprise" this off-season will be that Arenado isn't going anywhere. So Gorman will be traded for a pitching prospect who will never be heard from again.

ICCFIM2 wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 19:02 pm Surprising would be any trade including Winn or Herrera. Both of those guys are young enough they can be core players and can improve.

Three years ago, I would have been salivating over getting Austin Riley as some suggested on this thread. Players that suffer injuries like he has the last two years may recover, they may not. Given the money he is owed, no way this ownership takes on that contract.

I expect Gray to be traded. Teams need pitching, even if he is not an ace. Arenado is 50/50 in my view. He is bad enough now, I am not certain any team really wants him without salary relief that will be unpalatable to owners.

I expect one of Pages or Crooks to be traded. I expect two of Gorman, Saggese, Fermin and Donovan to be traded. I expect 1 of Church or Scott to be traded. I expect Hence to be traded. I think Walker is 50/50. If all that happens, that is a lot of roster reshaping, which will likely involve prospects in return. 2026 should give us a reasonable idea of how well Bloom did. If it looks good, people will still complain, but there will be hope. If it looks bad, the Bloom honeymoon will be short...

Gray will be an interesting case. This is a guy who would be happy to waive his NTC, he has a big contract, decent trade value...there is zero reason a rebuilding team should want to keep him.

And when he isn't traded, what will that tell us?

Once again Bregman could effect what the Cardinals are able to do. I don’t care for the guy and he keeps messing up our options of moving Arenado. Ok, I’m sorta joking, but seriously, if he opts out will the Bosox revisit Nado?
Obviously Bloom knows the Bosox organization, and there has been speculation about him making some kind of a deal or deals with them. The Bosox have several interesting prospects, but which ones would they be willing to move, and how much more would the Cardinals have to add to get any deal done? I like several of their players, and it would be really hard for them to find playing time for all of them.

Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 20:45 pm

ICCFIM2 wrote: ↑06 Oct 2025 19:02 pm Surprising would be any trade including Winn or Herrera. Both of those guys are young enough they can be core players and can improve.

Three years ago, I would have been salivating over getting Austin Riley as some suggested on this thread. Players that suffer injuries like he has the last two years may recover, they may not. Given the money he is owed, no way this ownership takes on that contract.

I expect Gray to be traded. Teams need pitching, even if he is not an ace. Arenado is 50/50 in my view. He is bad enough now, I am not certain any team really wants him without salary relief that will be unpalatable to owners.

I expect one of Pages or Crooks to be traded. I expect two of Gorman, Saggese, Fermin and Donovan to be traded. I expect 1 of Church or Scott to be traded. I expect Hence to be traded. I think Walker is 50/50. If all that happens, that is a lot of roster reshaping, which will likely involve prospects in return. 2026 should give us a reasonable idea of how well Bloom did. If it looks good, people will still complain, but there will be hope. If it looks bad, the Bloom honeymoon will be short...

Gray will be an interesting case. This is a guy who would be happy to waive his NTC, he has a big contract, decent trade value...there is zero reason a rebuilding team should want to keep him.

And when he isn't traded, what will that tell us?

If the right team is found , he would be traded as DeWitt's have indicated (to Bloom) that they are ready to 'eat more $$$ on the NTC guys in order to get them traded and Bloom has told them that the more $$ they eat, the better return he can get for a Sonny Gray . Last go round, Mo didn't wish to eat much on the contracts. That backfired and Cards could not trade any of the big boys . DeWitts now understand with Bloom what it will take to get rid of the high priced guys and get something in return.