Home › The Cardinal Nation Forums › Open Forum › Trade Ideas/Acquisition Ideas/Non-Cards Rumors – 2024-2026
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blingboy.
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December 29, 2025 at 2:11 am #298368
Bloom signed Marcus Stroman. His knee was hurting in 2025 and he had a bad year. He could work out of the Cardinals bullpen, and possibly even close for the Cardinals. That should be easier on his knee. If so, that would free up Romero for trade and they wouldn’t have to rely on O’Brien or another pitcher with limited experience. This is pure speculation. But anyone who has had knee pain knows that there is no way that any athlete could be effective working off of a knee that’s screaming at him/her all the time.
December 29, 2025 at 5:45 am #298369We didn’t sign Strohman, cant believe everything we read on the internet. 🙂
December 29, 2025 at 8:07 am #298373Sorry for the passing on a false report. I guess Stroman’s agent is trying to drum up some interest. Not only can’t you trust what you read, with AI being used the way it is, you can’t even trust anything you see on the internet anymore either.
December 29, 2025 at 10:40 am #298382Great news guys! I finally found a solution for Arenado…. Angels need a CFer
Angels get Arenado and Church, Cards eat 10 in 26 and 5 in 27. aka they pay $20m for $50m in jersey sales
Cards get Chase Shores and international draft $Call it in fellas!
December 29, 2025 at 11:29 am #298391Brilliant! Come on, Mr. Bloom. Get it done.
December 29, 2025 at 11:45 am #298394Mud, can Jojo and Donnie just shack up with Arenado in 2026? Or just carpool with Edman?
December 31, 2025 at 2:20 am #298479Giolito is still on the market. The longer pitchers last towards Spring Training, the more likely they take a 1 year deal. But I doubt the Cards add that kind of payroll.
December 31, 2025 at 2:38 am #298480Another thought is Emmit Sheehan included in a deal for Donovan. Not sure who else we could get. I figure the Dodgers can afford to trade one of their 50 starters. Sheehan had a good 2025, but is likely ticketed for AAA.
December 31, 2025 at 8:42 am #298488Yeah, if Giolito is still out there a week or two before spring training, his price might fall to the Cardinals range…It sounds like he has had zero discussions with anybody so far.
As for Sheehan, I don’t see the Dodgers trading pitchers from their major league roster. If the Cardinals are punting on 2026, which it appears they are, then I prefer prospects anyway.
December 31, 2025 at 10:08 am #298493Walker Buehler is another possible option, if he is at a VERY reasonable price tag.
If he stays healthy, great…. deadline chip, if not, cut bait. Or put him in the pen, a lot of variables and scenarios would be in play.
They still need about 125 innings from SPers.
December 31, 2025 at 12:43 pm #298496Do NOT trade Donovan!
December 31, 2025 at 4:26 pm #298502I don’t know if I would want to spend money on both Walker Buehler and Dustin May.
Between the two of them you might get 300 innings or you might get 30.
January 1, 2026 at 12:56 am #298519In retrospect, we should have gotten more for Tommy Edman. Both players we received we DFAd. We should have traded from prospects.
January 1, 2026 at 5:28 am #298522
jj-cf-stlParticipantBill avoided paying Edmans possible extension. Mo traded for a flash in the pan rental, but didn’t want to see it, because ownership goals were achieved. Pretending to contend while dumping.
January 1, 2026 at 6:02 am #298523
jj-cf-stlParticipantThere was lost value on Edman, but it was a best case for Tommy. He didn’t wind up with the CWS, and our FO was part of that, just like when they traded Bader back home. Maybe they can do the same for Nado.
January 1, 2026 at 6:16 am #298525I am finally at the point that the Cardinals should give Arenado plus the $5 million of Rockies money and $20 million of Cardinals money to whoever gives the best return. He may be good in 2026 but he is not needed on this Cardinals team. They need to figure out how they will man the infield in 2027. The Cardinals could be pretty competitive in 2027 if they put things together right.
January 1, 2026 at 8:52 am #298536I am finally at the point that the Cardinals should give Arenado plus the $5 million of Rockies money and $20 million of Cardinals money to whoever gives the best return.
Even if the Cardinals pay down nearly all of Arenado’s contract, they are unlikely to get anything back. As Kyle mentioned on the podcast, when the Cardinals traded Dexter Fowler, the return was PBTNL or cash. That is what Arenado will likely return.
January 1, 2026 at 9:08 am #298537
stlcard25ParticipantEven if the Cardinals pay down nearly all of Arenado’s contract, they are unlikely to get anything back. As Kyle mentioned on the podcast, when the Cardinals traded Dexter Fowler, the return was PBTNL or cash. That is what Arenado will likely return.
I don’t think it’s quite that bad. Fowler was one of the worst players in MLB at the time of his trade. Arenado, for whatever faults he has, is not anywhere near that level as a semi-competent 3B. If the Cards did a Fowler and paid him down to $1M, they would at least get something of a prospect in return. More likely they would get a lottery ticket for paying him down by $25M. Others have posited taking a contract in return for the OF. That could be possible.
January 1, 2026 at 10:35 am #298546I think they are just looking to minimize the pain involved in clearing NA’s contract off the books. They won’t really need the infield slot until Whetherholt gets his AAA time in. When he’s ready to come up they can decide who plays where, but they will need the slot and have NA cleared out.
January 1, 2026 at 11:05 am #298547
jj-cf-stlParticipantNolan has at least bench value. A club assuming that portion of his salary could DFA him at will. The second season is already paid for if they want it. Arenado should donate his NTC, or envoke it.
January 1, 2026 at 3:45 pm #298551Sort of shocking how little (54m isn’t to us) Imai got! Good move for Houston looking at it with little knowledge on the guy.
January 2, 2026 at 7:00 am #298561Imia should have been a target. Given that he probably would have been a one and done.
January 2, 2026 at 9:35 am #298577PadsFS
ParticipantCardinals27
Imia should have been a target. Given that he probably would have been a one and done.
The opt-outs would not have been ok for a rebuilding franchise.
Likewise, my choice for the offseason addition, Tyler Mahle, signed with the Giants for just $10M over 1 year. Dustin May fills the same role though.
January 2, 2026 at 10:25 am #298584The opt-outs would not have been ok for a rebuilding franchise.
If he pitches well enough to opt out, you just slap a QO on him…
But yes, $18 million was out of the Cardinals budget this year…they need to be shopping in the Mike Lorenzen aisle of about $7 million per year…DeWitt needs to pocket some money!!!
January 3, 2026 at 12:54 am #298612I think Imai could have been afforded. Especially if he opted out. That would be the uncertainty, if he bombed. The Cards need right handed outfield help, and could use another starter perhaps. And a lefty reliever, with the possibility of trading Romero. There is still much to do.
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