Cardinals Rumors 08/01/2023: Deadline Day, DeJong, Flaherty, Goldschmidt

August 1, 2023 Eugene Tierney

Contents

Today is Deadline Day And The Cardinals Rumors are Flying

Will Flaherty, DeJong, or anyone else be traded?

Today’s the day; we find out if we’re trading Jack Flaherty, Paul DeJong, or anyone else. Let’s get to the rumors. And check back throughout the day as I’ll be updating this as events unfold.

5:06 PM: The Cardinals will receive prospects Cesar Prieto (IF) and Drew Rom (LHP) for Flaherty.

Prieto (ranked #16 by MLB in the Orioles system) is has a little power from the left side of the plate; he was expected to make more contact than he has a pro but can recognize pitches. He’s made adjustments as he’s advanced, but not as quickly as some analysts hoped. None of his qualities stand out, but all are at least average. He’s played second and third; looks like a third baseman in the long run.

Rom (ranked #18 by MLB in the Orioles system) has average stuff and a deceptive delivery from 3/4 slot. Owns a high spin, low-90s fastball that his hard to hitters to get on top of. Slurve (a slider/curve hybrid type pitch) sits in the high-70s with good movement; considered near a plus pitch. Also has a split-change that is improving. Solid command in the lower minors, but has struggled with it as he’s advanced to AA/AAA. Most likely a back of the rotation starter; comped to J.A. Happ.

4:53 PM: The Cardinals and Orioles are close on a deal for Flaherty.

3:13 PM: The Brewers have acquired Andrew Chafin.

2:36 PM: Michael Lorenzen to the Phillies; as pitchers come off the market, the more likely a Flaherty trade happens.

1:58 PM: Verlander to the Astros. The dominoes should start falling now.

1:21 PM: Edman and Brendan Donovan have entered the chat.

1:14 PM: The Yankees/Carlson rumors are heating up again.

1:09 PM: The Cardinals are sending cash to Toronto with DeJong.

12:43 PM: The Cardinals are receiving Matt Svanson, RHP. Svanson was a 2021 13th round pick as a senior out of Lehigh University. He’s pitched in relief as a pro. Low 90s fastball that touched 96; plays up in the pros as a reliever, now sits mid-90s and touches 98. Slider and change, but neither seem that impressive. Groundball pitchers. Ceiling of middle reliever. I expect the team to be aggressive and assign him to Springfield.

12:39 PM: DeJong is now a member of the Blue Jays; no word yet on who the Cardinals received nor if any money is headed with him.

12:13 PM: The Cardinals and Blue Jays are in advanced talks for DeJong.

12:09 PM: The Padres could be out on pitching now too as they are set to acquire Rich Hill from the Pirates (Along with Ji Man Choi).

12:02 PM: The Braves could be out on pitching now that they’ve acquired Brad Hand from the Rockies.

Original Post: Now frequent trade partner the Blue Jays could be calling the Cardinals again; Bo Bichette injured his knee last night (and they should know the severity by 11 AM CST), so DeJong becomes a candidate to head to Canada. Before the injury happened, the Blue Jays and Cardinals talked about a bigger deal that sent Jordan Hicks up there, and DeJong and Tommy Edman could have been in that deal.

A Flaherty trade could happen later in the day, especially since he’s the best pitcher after Justin Verlander; I see a Verlander trade happening and Flaherty moving after him. Teams in on Verlander include the Astros, Orioles, Padres, Braves and Dodgers. Eduardo Rodriguez could be another pitcher tied to the top of the market. The Rays, Marlins, Angels, and Giants have all had some degree of interest in Flaherty as well.

Paul Goldschmidt‘s name is popping back up in the rumors; John Mozeliak said he wasn’t trading Goldschmidt or Nolan Arenado on Sunday, but teams are reporting that the Cardinals are listening to offers on the first baseman. This isn’t surprising for a rebuilding team; Goldie is one of their best trade assets and they’d be stupid to not listen (just like with Arenado and the Dodgers last week). But listening does not equal trading.

The Orioles are making their playoff push, and they are tied to more then just Flaherty; they could also be interested in Dylan Carlson. The Orioles have a pretty stocked system and could swing a trade for both players. Adding Carlson to a Flaherty deal would bump up the prospect price significantly; I don’t see the Cardinals doing it though because of the performances of guys like Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia, guys who broke out after they left St. Louis.

The Phillies are also looking for outfielders, and Carlson and Tyler O’Neill‘s names have popped up there. From the sounds of it, the Phillies like O’Neill better, but believe their Carlson will be the guy who the team moves.

Rumored Players
Here’s a list of guys and who they are tied to: