The winter months must have confined the St. Louis Cardinals to some cave somewhere. No one had seen or heard from them since October, and their absence was nearing a point of grave concern. That was until they signed starting pitcher Adam Wainwright to a one-year contract Thursday afternoon.
Cardinals fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their team has not given up entirely.
After reaching the postseason last year and waking up to a division that poses little threat, St. Louis has every reason to give the NL Central their best shot in 2021.
They can win the Central with their current group; however, conquering the entire league demands immediate upgrades.
Suddenly, St. Louis Cardinals involved in huge rumor
Shortly after the Wainwright news broke, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic presented this momentous story:
Cardinals, Rockies talking Arenado. Story: https://t.co/nefoGysvmg
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 29, 2021
Now that’s more like it. The St. Louis Cardinals come off a season in which they scored the 28th-most runs in MLB and hit the fewest home runs. Common sense dictates that they should rigorously search for a home run hitter and a run producer this offseason. Nolan Arenado is those things – and so much more.
MLB rumors: The Cardinals have their perfect match
The five-time All-Star truly is the perfect fit for the Cardinals. Arenado would give Paul Goldschmidt a fellow thumper on offense, perhaps protecting him in the batting order at the same time. St. Louis desperately needs a long-standing, reliable third baseman.
There’s no one better at defending the hot corner than the man who has won eight gold gloves in eight big-league seasons. On top of that, Arenado has hardly missed a game over that span.
Furthermore, the Cardinals prefer long-term commitments, and Arenado has six years left on his contract that he signed with the Colorado Rockies two winters ago. St. Louis would have to pay most – if not all – of his remaining money, in addition to giving up a considerable prospect package. But they would gain the services of a perennial superstar for the foreseeable future.
A potential trade between the Cardinals and Rockies has hardly left the starting blocks. There are undoubtedly many details to work out, and the likelihood of one team getting cold feet is high. With all that said, it’s nice to see The Birds engaging in something meaningful this offseason.
Locking in Wainwright for another season is wise. The Cards are probably hoping that their 39-year-old pitcher will influence the return of their 38-year-old catcher. Their next headline could very well involve Yadier Molina, but the screamer St. Louis fans crave most is “Cardinals trade for Nolan Arenado.”
Such an occurrence would shake the MLB offseason, even upstaging Francisco Lindor to the Mets. The St. Louis Cardinals would go from hibernators to kings of the Jungle.