3 Cardinals Prospects Who Should Be Off Limits in Winter Trade Talks
By Chris Pyo
After a disappointing exit from the 2019 NLCS in the form of a four-game sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals, the St. Louis Cardinals are ready to retool their roster, maintain control of the NL Central and make another run at a championship to open up the new decade. However, here are three players who should be completely off-limits for the Cardinals when it comes to winter trade talks.
3. Junior Fernandez
The Dominican right-hander may not have a chance to crack the starting rotation next year, especially with the Cardinals' stacked rotation combined with the possible addition of Madison Bumgarner. Even so, the Cardinals would be foolish to trade away the 22-year-old with a strong three-pitch arsenal that could potentially do wonders for a flashy but spotty bullpen.
2. Nolan Gorman
Gorman was drafted 19th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft as a power-heavy hitter, but has understandably struggled to hit for average in the minor leagues, hitting .248 last year while splitting time between different Class-A leagues. However, he fits right into the Joey Gallo mold, and even if he never hits even above .275, his five-star power is too lethal to trade away.
1. Dylan Carlson
Carlson split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, hitting a combined .292 with 26 home runs and 68 RBI. In an outfield that struggled to produce late last season, he'll definitely be seeing some time in the majors this year. There's no shot Cardinals GM Mike Girsch even thinks about letting go of the 21-year-old, who could provide stability in the outfield for years to come.