The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off their worst season in over 30 years. Having finished 71-91 and in last place in the NL Central, St. Louis is going to have some work to do this offseason.
Some of that work will include clearing up the logjam they've created in their outfield.
One outfielder in particular who appears to have been squeezed out of a spot is Dylan Carlson.
Once a top prospect, Carlson has struggled at the plate in recent years and has lost playing time as a result. The young outfielder could potentially be packaged in a trade if St. Louis wants to clear the logjam, as well as add pitching.
If the team looks to trade him, here are three Dylan Carlson trades that could jumpstart the Cardinals offseason.
1. Swap with Dodgers for Emmet Sheehan
While it might be hard to imagine the Cardinals and Dodgers making a trade, especially with both teams trying to contend in 2024, it's not as far-fetched as you might think.
In fact, a need-for-need swap could be had. St. Louis needs pitching, while the Dodgers need some outfielders. David Peralta, Jason Heyward, Enrique Hernandez, and J.D. Martinez are all about to be free agents.
Given the current state of the Dodgers outfield, with James Outman and Mookie Betts as the only sure things for 2024, Carlson could find himself a role in Los Angeles.
Sheehan went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA in 13 appearances this year, 11 of which were starts. But the young right-hander has plenty of potential and could almost certainly be penciled into the Cards rotation next year.
2. Package with Gorman, Brendan Donovan, or Tommy Edman to Chicago for Dylan Cease
Bieber is not the only ace in the AL Central that the Cardinals could take a look at.
It's always possible that the Chicago White Sox could change their mind about Dylan Cease and be open to a trade.
If Carlson could be package with Gorman, Tommy Edman, or even Brendan Donovan in a trade with the White Sox, the Cardinals could add a top-level pitcher while also clearing up the logjam in the outfield.
Carlson could be given a fresh start and have a chance to truly blossom as a young star, while St. Louis would get the type of pitcher that they need to lead their rotation in 2024.
Cease struggled this year, posting a 4.58 ERA, but his swing-and-miss capability would benefit the Cardinals rotation, which has largely relied on an outdated pitch-to-contact approach.
Even after trading away Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia, the logjam in the St. Louis outfield has not been cleared in any way. But Carlson could be in a position to compete for an everyday role with the White Sox should this trade come to pass.
Though he has struggled at the plate, he still provides elite defense, which could benefit the South Siders tremendously.
3. Package with Nolan Gorman to Cleveland for Shane Bieber
In order for the Cardinals to acquire the kind of pitching they truly need, they will have to say goodbye to some valuable pieces. This includes somebody like Nolan Gorman.
As mentioned previously, Carlson alone will not be enough to land an ace. St. Louis needs two such pitchers. But packaging him with an impact player such as Gorman would likely get the job done, while also helping to clear out the logjam in the outfield.
Bieber dealt with injuries in 2023 and didn't have his best season, going 6-6 with an ERA of 3.80 in 21 starts. His strikeout numbers are down slightly, but he is still only 28 and definitely has some good years left in him.
He'll be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, so St. Louis would have to be cognizant of that.
Carlson could give Cleveland a valuable fourth outfielder and potential defensive replacement late in games. The Guardians already have Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, and Oscar Gonzalez as their starting outfielders, but there could be a way for Carlson to carve out a role for himself.
It's always possible that Cleveland could move one of their outfielders to the designated hitter spot to give Carlson a chance to play every day.