With several needs to fill this offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals are lucky enough to have a surplus of depth in their outfield.
Unfortunately, two of their starters, Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson, had down seasons and were both plagued by injuries.
Beyond those two, St. Louis has Lars Nootbaar, Juan Yepez, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker.
Though not an outfielder, Nolan Gorman also factors into the Cards group of young stars.
But to get what they need this offseason, that being a catcher, an impact bat, and a starting pitcher, they may have to say goodbye to some of their young prospects.
On Twitter, one Cardinals analyst explained that the Cardinals could use some of their depth to acquire what they need this offseason, whether it’s a catcher, a pitcher, or a middle-of-the-order bat.
I know we all have our “favorite” of the Cardinals OF crop, but I just don’t see how Walker, O’Neill, Carlson, and Nootbaar, as well as the likes of Yepez, Burleson, and Gorman/Yepez all factor into the Opening Day roster. Deal from the surplus. #STLCards
— Joshua Jacobs (@joshjacoMLB) November 29, 2022
How The Cardinals Can Improve In 2023
While each of the talented young stars listed have their merits, the Cardinals will not be able to compete with teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, or Houston Astros if they hold onto every one of their top prospects.
In recent years, St. Louis has been hesitant to trade away some of their prospects.
Such was the case when Juan Soto became available at the trade deadline.
But with the Oakland Athletics actively shopping Sean Murphy and the Toronto Blue Jays looking to trade either Danny Jansen or Alejandro Kirk, the Cardinals will likely have to include some of their prospects if they plan to acquire any of the catchers listed.
The same can be said for any pitcher they target on the trade market.
NEXT: MLB Insider Sums Up Where The Cardinals Stand With The Roster
