MLB Rumors: If the Cardinals trade Paul Goldschmidt, where will he go?

The St. Louis Cardinals lost another series over the weekend to Elly De La Cruz and the streaking Cincinnati Reds. With that in mind, what would it take for the Cards to sell at the trade deadline?

At the beginning of the season, the NL Central was viewed as the Cardinals division to lose. So far this year, they've done everything they can to lose it. Entering Monday's slate of games, St. Louis is last in the Central, a solid eight games behind the 34-30 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Just last week, ESPN's Jeff Passan floated Paul Goldschmidt as a potential trade candidate at the deadline, especially if St. Louis continues to head in the wrong direction. Goldy has just one year remaining on his current contract, and at 35 years old, the Cardinals could get a haul back in return.

While any trade for Goldschmidt would be surprising — and it's far more likely that the Cards keep their core in tact and punt on 2023 — the Houston Astros could be a potential suitor, if both sides are interested.

Jose Abreu has not been what Houston needed at first base. Defensively, he's lackluster, and Abreu doesn't warrant serious playing time as a designated hitter. His decline has been well-documented, as he's slashing just .220/.275/.289 with very limited power.

Adding Goldschmidt to a lineup featuring the likes of Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve makes Houston even more dangerous come the AL postseason, where they will look to repeat as World Series champions.

In return, Houston can trade some of their available young pitching to the Cardinals, which allows St. Louis to hit the reset button heading into 2024.

MLB Rumors: Does Steve Cohen's anger mean changes for Mets?

New York Mets majority owner Steve Cohen is unhappy with his team's performance. Cohen, who is one of a few owners who is rather noticeably involved in the day-to-day operations, voiced his frustration over the weekend after New York lost another series, this time to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"The reality is it's not going to solve our problems," Cohen said, per The New York Post. "And I think in some ways it can be demotivating….I think that's the worst thing you can do is to be overly reactionary. General fan reaction, it's usually, 'I can't believe Steve's not going nuts, fire somebody.' My answer to that is, 'OK, let's say I went nuts. Let's say I fired somebody. Then what?' What does that accomplish? Who are you gonna replace them with? This is the middle of the season. And then if you actually ask people [who are the replacements], they have no answers, other than they're just angry, and I get that. I'm frustrated too."

So, from the sound of things, Cohen does not agree that the Mets should blow things up. With looming offseason decisions such as Billy Eppler and Buck Showalter's futures with the franchise, as well as what to do with Max Scherzer and Pete Alonso (who is a free agent in 2025), Cohen won't let a lackluster 60-game start get in the way of his vision.

That's smart to some extent, but it's also concerning considering the amount of money Cohen has spent on this roster. Why wouldn't he hold his front office more accountable, given they have more resources than most if not all MLB organizations?

Something has to give in Queens. Cohen is not the type to preach patience more than once.

MLB Rumors: If the Cubs trade Marcus Stroman, where will he go?

Marcus Stroman has made it clear that he prefers to sign a contract extension with the Chicago Cubs. Yet, Jed Hoyer and Co. have yet to make a legitimate offer, as Stroman is still under contract.

Stroman has an opt-out after this season, and assuming he keeps pitching at an NL Cy Young-caliber level, he'd be dumb not to exercise it. Stroman will make a lot of money as a free agent next offseason, which is why Chicago is tempted to trade him prior to the deadline. The Cubs are stuck in a very crowded, and yet very mediocre, NL Central. Selling is no guarantee, especially if Chicago can get back to their winning ways from earlier this season.

But if the Cubs sell, Stroman could be the first to go. Hoyer and Carter Hawkins could add to their farm system in a big way, and the Baltimore Orioles ought to be interested.

After rebuilding for the better part of a decade, Baltimore is finally in position to make the postseason again. The only thing they're truly lacking is an ace-caliber starting pitcher, which could rear its ugly head if they do reach the playoffs.

Stroman would not come cheap, but he's exactly what Baltimore needs — one of the best pitchers in baseball who is familiar with the AL East, having previously spent time with the Blue Jays. Even if he's only with the O's as a rental, the time for Baltimore's front office to act is now. No more waiting for what's been a very patient fanbase.