The St. Louis Cardinals currently have at least two players who could be moved via trade, and a surprising development involving one of their biggest rivals on Saturday night may have worked in their favor.
On the downside, All-Star third baseman is headed to the National League Central, where he’ll suit up for the biggest rival over the next five seasons. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Saturday that All-Star third baseman agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract..
Passan noted that after failing to sign Bregman a year ago, the Cubs finally landed one of the premier offensive players available this offseason.
While Bregman joining the Cubs clearly doesn’t help the Cardinals compete in the division—and likely makes the race tougher—it could indirectly benefit St. Louis in another way. His departure from the market leaves a significant opening in the Boston Red Sox infield, potentially creating a new trade opportunity for the Cardinals.
St. Louis and Boston have already completed two trades this offseason, and the Red Sox have previously been linked to Cardinals infielders Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently reported that Boston’s interest depended heavily on Bregman’s free-agency decision.
Goold wrote that while the Giants, Mariners, and Royals have all shown some interest in Donovan, the Red Sox were focused on re-signing Bregman. If Bregman signed elsewhere, Boston could become the ideal trade partner for St. Louis—particularly in discussions involving Arenado.
Now that Boston failed to retain Bregman, the Cardinals may have two viable trade chips capable of filling the Red Sox’s newly created infield need.
By remaining patient and letting the market develop, Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals appear to have positioned themselves wisely as opportunities begin to open up.
