3 Cardinals Prospects Who Should Be Untouchable in Trade Talks
By Sean Facey
The St. Louis Cardinals are in a tough spot. They're 46-45, just one game over .500, but they're also only one game out of a Wild Card spot and three games back of the Cubs for the division lead in the NL Central.
A playoff push would require the sale of some key prospects, but some of them absolutely need to be off-limits in any trade talks.
1. Nolan Gorman
Gorman owns one of the most explosive bats among all prospects in baseball. He slugged .894 in his senior year in high school, which was enough to convince the Cardinals to draft him 19th overall in 2018. The powerful third baseman hasn't quite pieced it all together yet, but he's still pounded out 30 home runs in 151 minor league games. He's only 19 and still has a long way to go in terms of development, but the Cardinals would be foolish to ship out him, along with his ridiculous raw power, at the deadline.
2. Andrew Knizner
With Yadier Molina's production declining in recent years and his future uncertain, the Cardinals would be wise to hold onto Knizner. The 24-year-old catcher has already seen 10 at-bats in the MLB and owns a .277/.360/.421 slash line in Triple-A this year. He could very well be the heir apparent to Molina's spot behind the dish in St. Louis, after Carson Kelly was finally shipped out to Arizona this past offseason.
3. Jhon Torres
Torres, like Gorman, is only 19 and still has plenty left to go on his path to development, but his potential is undeniable. He's a .304 hitter with a .902 OPS in rookie ball and a strong arm in the outfield. Shipping him out at this year's deadline would be a massive blunder for the Cardinals, who need to know what they have first.