4 untouchable Cardinals’ players during the Winter Meetings
With the Winter Meetings having kicked off, St. Louis figures to be active in the relief and trade markets. Which players are “untouchable” in trades?
By Thomas Gauvain | Dec 5, 2023
St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals
St. Louis Cardinals v Washington Nationals / Greg Fiume/GettyImages
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The 2023 Winter Meetings started on Sunday. The St. Louis Cardinals have been rumored to be active participants in this year’s gathering of baseball’s General Managers, writers, and fans in general. The Winter Meetings will end on November 6th.
There are plenty of free-agent relievers that the Cardinals figure to extend offers to. For as much as the starting rotation struggled last year, the bullpen was just as dismal. St. Louis blew 44% of their saves last year. Ryan Helsley blew five saves in nineteen opportunities, Giovanny Gallegos blew six saves in sixteen opportunities, and Andre Pallante blew five saves in as many opportunities. Those three relievers all figure to have prominent roles in 2024, only highlighting the team’s need for another high-leverage reliever.
In addition to beefing up the bullpen, John Mozeliak intends on exploring the trade market. Players such as Tyler Glasnow, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and even Corbin Burnes could become a Cardinal during the Winter Meetings. Bullpen players such as Emmanuel Clase could also be had, although that seems less likely.
St. Louis has ample positional depth to trade from. They have a glut of both infielders and outfielders who are being blocked by each other. Also, St. Louis has players with plenty of team control such as Dylan Carlson, Tommy Edman, and Brendan Donovan who could be appealing to rival teams. Tyler O’Neill, even though he is a free agent after 2024, is most likely to be traded per recent statements by Mozeliak.
There are a handful of players who John Mozeliak would like to hold on to. He sees tremendous value in these players, and while they would net a decent return, Mozeliak sees more value in having them on the team than whatever player they could bring
