St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Trade deadline deal lining up with New York Yankees?

Could the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees pull off another trade at the MLB trade deadline? It appears the two sides are talking, but will it amount to a deal?

St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Could the New York Yankees once again be a trade partner?

According to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The Yankees are interested in center fielder Dylan Carlson, according to two sources, and the Cardinals’ pitching.” And what would St. Louis receive in return? Goold says it is the pitching that the Cardinals covet so much, writing, “The Yankees have two Class AAA starters that fit the Cardinals’ target return, Clayton Beeter or Randy Vazquez, both 24.”

Last season, the Cardinals sent outfielder Harrison Bader (who was on the injured list at the time) to New York in exchange for starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Could the two teams come together on another trade this season, with the roles flipped and the Cardinals sending an outfielder in exchange for pitching?

Carlson, a switch hitter, entered Wednesday’s action slashing .237/.338/.358 with five home runs and 24 RBI. In his fourth season in St. Louis, Carlson is part of a crowded outfield and has been rumored to be the odd man out when it comes to projecting which outfielders could impact the Cardinals roster in 2024. It was reported earlier in the week that St. Louis plans to keep Tyler O’Neill past the trade deadline. With that, Carlson’s availability for other teams suddenly came into more focus.

However, if the Cardinals and Yankees come to an agreement, Carlson’s three seasons of team control could help boost the price. He isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until the 2027 campaign.

St. Louis is expected to be a seller at the trade deadline, looking to retool its roster for another postseason run in 2024. What the Cardinals get back from Carlson (from the Yankees or another team) will be a part of that process.