Outfielders the Cardinals Could Trade for This MLB Offseason

Once an area of strength, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in need of a strong offensive presence in the outfield now that Marcell Ozuna is expected to test free agency this offseason.

As things currently stand, Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader, Jose Martinez and Dexter Fowler are all capable of filling in for the outgoing Ozuna. However, it's still to be determined whether or not that quartet can provide the Cardinals with the kind of production the latter provided in 2019 (.800 OPS).

That being said, here are a few external options that the Cardinals could realistically acquire via trade this offseason.

3. Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets

The New York Mets may be looking to move an outfielder this offseason, and if the price is right, the Cards should try and pry Brandon Nimmo away from the Big Apple. Nimmo may not provide much in the way of over-the-fence power, but he's been one of the most underrated hitters at his position over the past few years. The 26-year-old talent owns a .387 on-base percentage and respectable .827 OPS across four MLB seasons. If acquired, Nimmo would give the Cards a strong lead-off bat with gap power that'll be under team control until 2023.

2. David Peralta, Arizona Diamondbacks

If the Cardinals are looking to acquire the closest thing to the complete package without gutting the farm, giving David Peralta some serious trade consideration may be in their best interest. A .290 career hitter, the 32-year-old outfielder is a consistent bat with above-average, over-the-fence power (30 homers in 2018) and a knack for driving in runs (.286 average with RISP). A 2019 Gold Glove Award winner, Peralta would also give the Cardinals a strong defensive presence in the outfield going forward.

1. Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers

Joc Pederson has one of the best power strokes in the game and would probably be the ideal outfield trade, purely based on production alone. The 27-year-old talent is coming off the heels of a career year in 2019, slashing .249/.339/.538 with 36 homers and 74 RBI across 149 games played. With A.J. Pollock, Cody Bellinger and Alex Verdugo all fighting for playing time in the Dodgers' outfield, Pederson could end up being the odd man out of LA this offseason. It won't be a cheap trade to make, but acquiring Pederson would give St. Louis a bonafide middle-of-the-order bat that could seamlessly replace Ozuna's production.

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