"While the focus of the Cards' offseason will be moving veteran talent and creating opportunities for young players, the wide-ranging nature of this rebuild means that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is likely to explore every possible avenue for upgrading the roster. Given this youth movement, it is safe to assume that Bernal and Crooks aren't going anywhere, unless Bloom swings a relatively rare prospect-for-prospect type of swap."
"The Cardinals could conceivably package one of their own prospects along with a higher-priced veteran (i.e. Nolan Arenado, ) to convince a rival club to take on more salary, yet dealing a well-regarded prospect just to save money isn't happening unless the other team also offers a good prospect package that can more broadly address the Cards' needs. MLB Pipeline ranks Bernal as the 92nd-best prospect in baseball, and the fourth-best prospect in the St. Louis farm system."
Cardinals offseason strategy centers on moving veteran talent and creating roster spots for young players while exploring all avenues to upgrade the roster. Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal are considered effectively untouchable prospects, with Bernal likely needing a 40-man roster addition to avoid the Rule 5 Draft. Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, and other catchers are likelier trade candidates to varying degrees. Pozo could be designated for assignment and then re-signed to a minor-league contract to free a 40-man spot while keeping him in the organization. The club may package prospects with high-salary veterans to facilitate trades, but will not trade top prospects solely for payroll relief without significant prospect returns. MLB Pipeline ranks Bernal 92nd overall and fourth in the Cardinals system.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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