Is the Dexter Fowler Trade a Precursor to Something Bigger?

The Cardinals kept the surprises going on Thursday by trading Dexter Fowler and $12.75M to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be later or cash. The deal clears out an outfield spot on the roster; Fowler was penciled in as the right fielder to start the season. Now Dylan Carlson will probably be the right fielder, with Harrison Bader in center and gold glover Tyler O’Neill in left. Or is something else in the works?

We heard rumors that Joc Pederson was on the Cardinals radar before signing with the Cubs; that seemed more like a move to platoon someone with O’Neill. There have been a few other rumors for the Cardinals.

Former Cardinal Marcell Ozuna took to social media to state his desire to rejoin Yadier Molina as a teammate; would the Cardinals be interested in a reunion? Or was that a clue that the Blue Jays could sweep up both of them? My guess is this was just Ozuna making an innocent post and there is no rumor here. The Cardinals didn’t seem happy with Ozuna on the team; between the lack of communication in the off season and the occasional issue showing up on time, I got the feeling that the team was ready to move on. That said, adding 2020 Ozuna would be a huge upgrade to the outfield; he’s instantly better then O’Neill and Bader on offense, then you have these 2 for defensive replacements.

David Peralta was another name tied to the Cardinals, but that rumor has cooled off in the last month. Peralta started his pro career with the Cardinals as a pitcher; after a stint in Indy Ball, Peralta joined the Diamondbacks as an outfielder. The outfielder has 2 years, $15M remaining on his contract. The down side is he’s been on the decline over the last 3 seasons. At this point, I don’t see Peralta as much of improvement on what the Cardinals currently have.

Sticking with the current outfield has too many question marks; both Bader and O’Neill have struggled offensively at times. Carlson got off to a slow start this past year, but looked good after a short demotion. The key for the current roster is Lane Thomas; the organization has been high on him in the past and his 2020 struggles could have been Covid related. A healthy season could help cement him as a regular. The team also needs to see what they have in Austin Dean and Justin Williams. Dean started hot, but injuries limited his playing time. Williams really hasn’t gotten a shot at the MLB level, so he’s a giant mystery at this point.

Even with the addition of Nolan Arenado, the team needs one more hitter to ensure success. Ozuna would be the easiest fix out there.

Don’t forget to check the Cardinal Salary Matrix and the Cardinal Prospect Tracker for updates.