FanPost

Time to sell


This season is still a long way away from being over, but we are starting to see that the Cardinals are not looking like a playoff team this year. The best point of the season so far is when our offseason acquisition was injured and we called a spark plug from Single A. This has been the most inspired baseball we have had all year, and I can't wait to see Mags back. With that being said, I'm a huge fan of transactions and talking about trades, so I am going to outline a few possibilities.

Lance Lynn

He's the most obvious of trade candidates. He is on a contract year and is pitching great returning from injury. He pitches deep into games, is a bulldog on the mound, throws strikes, competes, and has had playoff success. All these reasons are reasons why I would love to keep him, but in this season and with the teams reluctance to spend money, I think Lynn has to go.

Potential landing spots....

Houston: Needs rotation help, have prospects to deal, Lynn was drafted by Luhnow, need a competitor and his mentality would fit with their team, have the money to resign him. I honestly see this as being the top landing spot for Lynn. It's too great of a fit for him.

Seattle: Need major rotation help due to injuries. Gunning for a wild card spot and still trying to catch Houston. Plus with Dipoto at the helm, you can never rule out Seattle making a move.

Cleveland: The twins are leading the division but the race is close. Cleveland seems to take off at the end of the year each season. They haven't had the great pitching this year, and one more piece could help them make a deep playoff run. Plus there is the whole Cardinals and Indians trading at the deadline almost every year for the past ten years thing that could make this happen.

Rockies: Could need one more starter and could use an arm with postseason experience. He could help lead the rotation and could be a welcomed addition to a team exceeding expectations.

Trevor Rosenthal

He has been a closer in the playoffs before, and has also been a great setup man capable of pitching two innings. The kind of guy that every team is looking for come playoff time. Young, but experienced, and comes with a full year of control after this year.

Landing spots....

Colorado: Another flamethrower to add to the pen. Could help make the bullpen even nastier. Velocity plays well in Denver, and would act as insurance in case Holland leaves.

Houston: See a trend here? Most of these teams who have rotation needs could also use a bullpen boost. Houston could use another late inning arm, has the Luhnow connection, and has a lot of prospect capital to deal from, especially with the extra draft picks this year.....

Nationals: Great offense, great rotation, great overall team. What's the biggest problem? Late innings. The Nats made moves in the offseason but had one glaring hole they didn't fill. A closer. Just like the Cardinals, they took shots but couldn't land the big fish and now they have to make up for that mistake.

And to wrap everything up since its late, I will throw out one name you might not expect...

Mike Leake

He has been a shot in the arm for the Cardinals this year, and arguably the Cardinals best pitcher all year. He is in the running for the Cy Young and is pitching brilliantly this year. I love Leake and loved when we signed him, but I doubt his value would be any higher than it is right now. He has over three years left on his deal, is young and brings cost certainty. He is a groundball pitcher and after spending much of his career in Cincinatti, he is used to pitching in hitter's parks. With that being said here a few landing spots...

Yankees: They have a bevy of prospects from which to trade from. Making a move for Leake would allow them to "go for it" this year while also not mortgaging the future because Leake can be a part of the future. Could stabilize the aging and uncertain Yankees rotation for the next few years. His style of pitching would work well in New York cause he keeps the ball on the ground and works on the corners.

Diamondbacks: May be more willing to make a move on Leake because of the extra control. Could give them a formidable mid-rotation starter for this year and years to come. He initially wanted to sign with Arizona in free agency but after they signed Greinke they decided they couldn't go after him. Might be a reach, but his game could fit the ballpark very well.

Any team in the AL West except the A's: Ok this may sound a little strange but hear me out.

Astros- For most of the same reasons Lynn is a fit except more years of control.

Seattle- Years of control, need a bridge in the rotation, and Jerry Dipoto.

Angels- May still be enough in the hunt where Scoiscia and Moreno want to make a move to get a starter and push for the playoffs.

Rangers- May claw back into the race, always on the lookout for pitching, uncertain future rotation, and have made similar moves in the past (Cole Hamels).

Just a few late night thoughts I decided to jot down after watching yet another Cards loss. I may be way off but I really felt like sharing my thoughts. Thanks for reading and let me know what you all think!