The trade deal between Juan Soto and the Cardinals reaches a critical juncture

Trade deal with Juan Soto reaches ‘critical point’

It is well known that Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals have reached an impasse in the contract negotiations. Likewise, it is known that there are 3-4 finalists with maybe a Dark Horse team in the running for a deal with Juan Soto. One of those teams is the St. Louis Cardinals, which perhaps has the most prospects and MLB-eligible talent to offer Washington.

The Cardinals already missed a franchise switch trade by focusing more on Juan Soto than Frankie Montas. Now, with this latest report from MLB insider Jon Morosi, the cardinals could risk losing out on a deal with Juan Soto. This would be a huge loss for them if they don’t get Soto or some other franchise-changing talent at this point. They want to maximize their mastery window now and not see it shrink.

The Cardinals are sticking with Dylan Carlson or their best prospects from a deal for Juan Soto for some reason. I understand Carlson is a great MLB player with a lot of future. He’s only 23 years old, in his 3rd MLB season and can play all 3 outfield courts. He has hit 22 doubles, 6 homers and 31 RBI in 83 games this year. This is possible with 107 OPS+ and 724 OPS. Those are very good numbers, especially considering he’s still in his prime.

Dylan is under control until 2027, while Juan Soto is under control until 24 minutes. Still, the Cardinals have plenty of outfielders like Tyler O’Neil, Harrison Bader, and Brendan Donovan. Bader is injured so there could be short-term worries over who will play in midfield if Carlson is traded, but it’s a nice worry if it means Soto is in your team. How often does an opportunity arise to make a Juan Soto trade? Not often.

The prospects Morosi is talking about are likely Jordan Walker, Mason Wynn and Matthew Liberatore, but it could also be players like Ivan Herrera or MLB regular Nolan Gorham.

The Cardinals shouldn’t worry about losing Walker since they have Nolan Arenado in the same position Walker plays long-term. Losing Liberatore would hurt their crumbling rotation, but Soto can help pick up a ton of runs. Perhaps the biggest problem is losing an MLB regular at second baseman who is fast becoming a star in Nolan Gorham. But the chance to win a World Series doesn’t come around often.

A deal with Juan Soto would do amazing miracles for the Cardinals’ offensive. It would increase their World Series ratings by a huge percentage. And doesn’t the Cardinals want to win it all in a season where 3 franchise players could potentially retire after the season? I would think they would. It’s not like Juan Soto is a renter.

The Cardinals need to make this trade with Juan Soto work or risk losing a ring. They know how to design and cultivate players. However, there is no guarantee that any of these players will even come close to matching Juan Soto’s caliber.