The St. Louis Cardinals have a problem. They are still in the playoff hunt in the National League, but the offense has gone quiet at the worst possible time. The team is ranked 16th in runs scored and 22nd in home runs across all of MLB. That is not going to cut it if they want to make any noise in October.
The front office knows it. Chaim Bloom, the young president of baseball operations, has already made it clear this season that he is willing to deal veterans and reshape the roster around young talent. He traded Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado in the offseason. The message was blunt: this team is rebuilding on the fly while trying to win now.
That balancing act is tough. But one trade could give the Cardinals exactly what they need without selling off the future.
The Cardinals Need Pop Behind the Plate
Right now, the catching situation in St. Louis is not generating much offense. Jimmy Crooks and Pedro Pages are splitting time behind the dish. Together they have hit seven home runs and driven in 20 runs. That is thin production from a position where other teams are getting serious power numbers.
Both guys are solid defensively. No argument there. But in a lineup that already features young hitters like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, the Cardinals need more than just defensive reliability from that spot. They need someone who can change a game with one swing.
That is where the Colorado Rockies come in.
Hunter Goodman Could Be the Answer
Hunter Goodman is having a monster season in Colorado. The catcher has 31 home runs and 60 RBIs. For context, that is three times as many RBIs as both Cardinals catchers combined. The guy is producing like a middle-of-the-order bat from the catcher position, which is rare.
The Rockies are in last place in the NL West. They are not competing for anything this year. Goodman is exactly the kind of player a rebuilding team like Colorado would consider moving for the right return. And Bloom has shown he is not afraid to make aggressive moves.
What a Trade Package Could Look Like
To land Goodman, the Cardinals would likely need to send a pitcher, a prospect, and a draft pick back to Colorado. Dustin May makes sense as the major league piece. He is in the final year of his contract and has a 4.59 ERA with five wins this season. The Rockies need pitching badly — their staff has a 5.55 ERA, worst in baseball. May could step into their rotation immediately.
The second piece would be Leo Bernal, one of St. Louis’s top catching prospects. He has not played in the majors yet, but he is hitting .278 with 13 home runs in Triple-A Memphis. He would help Colorado replace Goodman behind the plate long-term. That is the kind of deal that works for both sides.
Would the Cardinals Actually Do This?
May has been discussed as a trade candidate for weeks. It feels like a matter of time before he is dealt. Bernal is a promising prospect, but the Cardinals have other options in the pipeline. Giving up a young catcher for a proven power hitter like Goodman is exactly the kind of swing this front office might take.
The MLB trade deadline is August 3. St. Louis has a few weeks to decide. If they want to make a run this year, adding Goodman would give the lineup a jolt that the current roster just does not have. And that is the kind of move that could change the entire feel of this team down the stretch.
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