The St. Louis Cardinals' trade candidates aren't as clear this offseason, as they were in 2025.
A year ago, it was obvious who the Cardinals were going to shop before the 2026 season. Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray all entered the offseason as trade candidates and all were moved. JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar also were talked about as trade chips, but stuck around until the trade deadline. Then, they were moved as well.
Now, St. Louis isn't loaded with veterans any longer. But that doesn't mean that there aren't guys who could be on the move. Here are three to watch this offseason ranked from the least likely, to the most likely to go.
No. 3: Jimmy Crooks
Crooks is someone who has interesting value this offseason. Crooks has played in 67 total games in the majors over the last two seasons. His bat hasn't gotten going in the big leagues, but it has been a small sample size. He has been one of the Cardinals' top prospects over the last few years for a reason. Down in the minors, he has torn the cover off the ball. He's just 25 years old and is under team control through the 2031 season. The Cardinals just so happened to be loaded at the catcher position. If they weren't, Crooks would be a no-brainer to have on the big league roster. The Cardinals happen to be set at the spot, starting with Leo Bernal, which makes Crooks expendable.
That doesn't guarantee that he will be moved, but now would be a good time to shop him to a team in need of a backstop.
No. 2: Pedro Pages
Pages doesn't have the upside that Crooks has. He is 28 years old and has shown that he can be good defensively, but doesn't provide much offensively. Pages profiles as more of a backup option, rather than a starter. If the Cardinals feel comfortable with a tandem of Bernal-Ivan Herrera. Or Bernal-Crooks, Pages could easily be moved.
No. 1: Nolan Gorman — Infielder
Gorman needs a change of scenery. Things haven't worked out as him and the organization both likely would've hoped for. He hasn't been able to consistently find success offensively and there doesn't appear to be a clear path for him in 2027 in the lineup. At the end of the day, this should be the offseason that St. Louis moves on.
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