The St. Louis Cardinals need an outfield bat and there’s a division rival with one available.
Chicago Cubs fans, look away.
Cody Bellinger could be a perfect fit for the Cardinals as they angle for a Wild Card berth in the MLB Postseason, and that’s exactly what ESPN’s David Schoenfield wants to see.
Schoenfield and colleague Bradford Doolittle shared a treasure trove of MLB trade deadline deals they’d like to see and Schoenfield outlined exactly why this deal between rivals could work.
“This, admittedly, would be a little mean,” he conceded. “The Cardinals’ side is simple: They have the worst center-field production in the majors… So getting Bellinger fixes a hole and improves a lineup that is near the bottom in the National League in runs.”
Schoenfield added that it makes sense for the Cubs as well.
“For the Cubs, it would be about clearing Bellinger off next year’s roster,” he explained. “He has a $27.5 million player option for next year, which he would appear likely to pick up.”
What a Cody Bellinger Trade Means for Michael Siani
The Cardinals’ everyday centerfielder Michael Siani has become one of the biggest defensive stars in the game. He also hasn’t hit. His .237 batting average is made even worse by a 66 OPS+ with only 2 home runs and 6 doubles in 92 games.
Siani has been the best centerfielder in baseball by outs above average (+13) and has a highlight reel of web gems that, by the end of the season, could be the length of a feature film.
Bellinger is a former Gold Glove winner himself but ranks at -2 outs above average this season.
That’s all to say the Cardinals don’t want to shut Siani out of his position entirely. The good news is that Bellinger comes with some versatility. This season alone, he has played 16 games in right, 13 at first base, 10 at DH, and 1 in left field. Siani has also seen limited action in right and left this season. There’s some maneuverability there.
The Cardinals badly need a bat like Bellinger’s and they can get that while still letting Siani get his reps in centerfield.
What Cody Bellinger Would Cost the Cardinals
It’s entirely realistic that the Cardinals would have to cough up more for Bellinger than another team looking for his services. They have the pieces to do that.
St. Louis has two top 100 prospects per MLB Pipeline (RHP Tink Hence at 41 and LHP Quinn Mathews at 97). Both are in Double-A and could play in the Majors this year. That matters, if the Cubs demand one of them.
But as Schoenfield mentioned, the Cubs have incentive to get rid of Bellinger as well. He adds that the Cardinals can easily take on his contract, letting it replace the $26 million free-agent-to-be Paul Goldschmidt is due this year.
As Schoenfield points out, this isn’t a likely arrangement. But unlikely does not mean impossible, and there is reason for both sides to consider it.
“Odds? Slim!” he concluded. “The last significant trade between these teams was in 1995, when Todd Zeile went to the Cubs for Mike Morgan and a couple of prospects.”
