With the trade deadline a week away, the Cardinals are leaning hard toward seller mode, and Lance Lynn just floated the kind of idea that would light up St. Louis: moving Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn.
That suggestion came as the Cardinals continue to slide, fresh off losing a series to the Cincinnati Reds and now staring at a four-game set with the Chicago Cubs. The broader picture is clear enough - the club may be looking to clear space for younger players and stockpile as many future assets as possible over the next several years.
Lynn, a 2011 World Series champion, took that idea a step further by arguing that the Cardinals should consider Winn as the piece that could bring back the kind of return that actually changes the organization. His thinking centered on JJ Wetherholt sliding into the shortstop spot if St. Louis decided to make the move.
"I make this move only if I think this. Do I think JJ can play a shortstop every day that I can get away with trading Masyn Winn for something that is really forward moving on maybe the pitching side, and I say, 'Hey, maybe I can get a top three or a young one or two from a contending team?"
Lynn said. "I think you have a serviceable shortstop that you just gave 100-plus million dollars to."
"That's a slap in the face. I don't care what anyone says."
Should the Cardinals trade Masyn Winn, or is it time for an extension? pic.twitter.com/aLOH7ot46n
The appeal of that kind of deal is straightforward: if Winn can bring back a real haul, the Cardinals at least have to listen. The focus, as the deadline approaches, should be on young, controllable starting pitching. That’s the type of return that could make a sell-off worthwhile.
There’s already a market template for that sort of thinking. The Seattle Mariners, according to the source material, have made it clear they’d be willing to trade right-hander Emerson Hancock if it helps them land a right-handed bat.
A return like that is the level St. Louis would be hoping to chase if it decided Winn was the piece to move.
And if Winn does go, the Cardinals have a simple internal path forward. Wetherholt could take over at shortstop, while second base would be opened up for someone else. Ramon Urias could be an option there if he comes back from the injured list.
It’s not the kind of move that would sit well with a lot of fans, especially with Winn still not extended. But if the Cardinals believe they can turn him into the kind of future help they need, the argument for listening is right there. If the other trade chips don’t bring back much, Winn may be the one player who could change that.
In Other News...
The Cardinals Have One Young Bat They Cannot Afford To Move
The Cardinals spot in the standings has pushed them toward a familiar deadline conversation, one that is less about adding help and more about deciding what can be moved without damaging the next version of the roster. At 53-53 and sitting fourth in the NL Central, St. Louis has to weigh short-term flexibility against the value of keeping a few younger pieces who still fit the clubs future timeline.
Ivn Herrera is the kind of bat that makes that balancing act harder. The 26-year-old catcher and designated hitter earned his first All-Star nod this season and has been one of the more important offensive pieces on the roster, which is why the Cardinals would need a significant return before even entertaining the idea of dealing him. For a team trying to thread the needle between selling and staying relevant, that is the sort of decision that can shape more than one deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have Trade Deadline Leverage They Desperately Needed
The trade deadline has a way of turning bad news for one club into opportunity for another, and the Cardinals may have stumbled into exactly that kind of opening. After a rough stretch that has pushed St. Louis toward seller territory, the front office suddenly has a little more leverage than it did a few days ago, because clubs looking for help now have one more reason to call. The Yankees are among the teams with a clear need in the outfield, which puts the Cardinals back in the kind of deadline conversation they have been hoping to avoid but may now be able to use.
St. Louis has players who could draw interest if it decides to move pieces, and the fit with New York is obvious enough to keep the phones ringing. Any conversation would likely revolve around young pitching depth on the Yankees' side, the sort of names that could make sense if the two clubs decide to revisit a familiar kind of exchange. The Cardinals and Yankees have done business before, and while nothing is close to done here, this is the sort of situation that can quickly turn a seller's market into a real chance to reshape a roster. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Sent A Troubling Deadline Message Amid This Ugly Slide
The Cardinals have spent much of July looking like a team stuck between directions, and the results have only sharpened the conversation as the trade deadline approaches. A loss in seven of their last nine games has dragged them down to No. 14 in the power rankings, while the offense has gone cold enough to leave little doubt that this is more than a short slump.
Since early July, St. Louis has been near the bottom of the league in nearly every meaningful hitting category, which makes the next move especially tricky. The front office has already started making small roster adjustments, but the bigger question is whether the Cardinals lean into a retool or try to ride out the current group, and the answer could say plenty about how they view the rest of this season. [Read more 🡒]