St. Louis Cardinals interested in Josh Donaldson if Blue Jays willing to deal

The St. Louis Cardinals could make a splash if the Toronto Blue Jays put one of their biggest stars on the block before the trade deadline.

There has been talk recently about what the Toronto Blue Jays will do at the trade deadline, and just how far they will go if they indeed decide to sell. Could former MVP Josh Donaldson even find himself on the block? It’s a possibility other clubs are apparently considering, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports the St. Louis Cardinals are interested in the superstar third baseman.

There is nothing exactly revelatory here: There aren’t many teams that wouldn’t be intrigued by Donaldson, even though he has dealt with some injury trouble this year. And just because a club likes a player and would want to acquire him if he becomes available doesn’t mean he’ll actually be put up for sale.

However, if teams are thinking about Donaldson as a potential trade candidate, perhaps one will go so far as to ask the Blue Jays about him before the deadline, especially if Toronto continues to fade in the standings. And if asked, how would the Jays respond?

Donaldson is signed through the 2018 season, and even at age 33 he would probably command a hefty contract, as long as his production doesn’t fall off a cliff. You can’t really fancy the Jays’ chances of retaining him beyond that point, so an eventual trade makes sense. But when – now, in the offseason, or next trade deadline?

There’s an appeal to shopping Donaldson now with a year and a half of control in tow. Toronto could surely land a significant prospect package for the man who has averaged 39 home runs and 111 RBI over the past two seasons. But his recent calf injury and the fact that’s he’s already over 30 might give teams pause as they attempt to project his long-term future.

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As CBSSports.com’s Mike Axisa points out, the Cardinals’ interest in Donaldson suggests they intend to make a second-half push. The Redbirds are currently 5.5 games behind in the NL Central and 8.5 off the pace for a Wild Card, but a healthy and productive Donaldson would be the kind of transformative addition that could alter the course of their season.

The Cardinals offense as a whole hasn’t been much to write home about this year. Their 383 runs scored rank 19th in Major League Baseball and their .743 OPS is 17th. St. Louis third basemen have managed a .794 OPS, which places them 12th. Jedd Gyorko has been the primary presence there, along with a handful of appearances by Greg Garcia and the now-departed Jhonny Peralta.

Donaldson would be a clear upgrade, and he’d certainly lift the Cards lineup overall. Gyorko, who is slashing a fine .301/.367/.516 with 12 home runs, could presumably spend more time at first or second base, even the outfield in a pinch.

With a pitching staff that already ranks in the top 10 (4.05 ERA, eighth), an improved offensive attack could key St. Louis toward a postseason berth after the All-Star break. The NL Central still feels like anyone’s game, and whoever makes the boldest move at the trade deadline could gain the advantage. Donaldson would definitely qualify.

Next: Who should Jays put on trade block?

Nevertheless, trading Donaldson doesn’t seem like something the Blue Jays will rush into. Though his talent with the bat doesn’t require much talking up, the team might want to wait until he boosts his current .238/.350/.457 line. That could make an offseason deal or a trade next summer more likely than a blockbuster over the next few weeks.

Still, this will be a very interesting situation to monitor.