Cardinals Rumors: A new-look bullpen?

While some of the Cardinals bullpen issues this year have been on Oli Marmol and his inability to put his team in the best position to win games, there have been injuries, as well as bad luck.

Finally, St. Louis' luck is starting to change, with left-handed reliever Packy Naughton set to return in the coming weeks. When Naughton returns, expect him to slot in somewhere in the middle-to-late innings. MLB Trade Rumors offered an optimistic outlook:

"Left-hander Packy Naughton, who has been on the IL with a forearm strain since early April, is poised to make a Triple-A rehab appearance tomorrow. Prior to his injury, Naughton impressed with five scoreless innings where he allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out five, good for a 1.88 FIP. Upon his return, Naughton could factor into the St. Louis bullpen alongside the likes of Andre Pallante and Genesis Cabrera as the club relies on Ryan Helsley, Jordan Hicks, and Giovanny Gallegos in the late innings."

Last season, Naughton struggled against right-handed hitters, as they had a .374 batting average against him. Should he truly cement himself as the team's lefty specialist, he'll need to prove at least somewhat capable against right-handed hitters, or else the Cardinals and Marmol won't be able to count on him consistently. RedBird Rants J.T. Buchheit offered this best-case scenario for Naughton in March:

"Naughton has shown an ability to retire left-handers consistently, and as the second lefty in the pen alongside Zack Thompson, he could be thrust into some high-pressure spots. Ideally, Naughton will be deployed against left-handed-heavy lineups and be able to retire the occasional right-hander, especially with his changeup."

In order for Marmol to see what he has in Naughton long-term, he'll have to get consistent reps. Expect that to come soon.

Cardinals rumors: Who could trade for Paul Goldschmidt?

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't shopping Paul Goldschmidt, at least not yet. But the former NL MVP has a year left on his contract, and is 35 years old. If there were a time to trade him, that would be now, as the Cards would receive the most value back for him. Redbird Rants pointed this out in a recent article:

"This would also clear the way for some players such as Jordan Walker, Juan Yepez, Masyn Winn, and Luken Baker, or could even bring in a young power bat to build around in the years to come. This may not be the year for the Cardinals, and in that case, if a team is willing to give them some Major League-ready talent, they may want to pull the trigger on the deal, especially with Goldschmidt's contract set to expire next year, which will be his age-36 season."

A potential landing spot for Goldschmidt — though it's far too early to tell what their intentions will be — are the Minnesota Twins. While Joey Gallo offers plenty in the power department, he is hitting under the Mendoza line, and is best used as a designated hitter, if at all. Minnesota is essentially .500 right now, but they still lead the AL Central, which is the worst division in baseball.

If the Twins decide to go for it and would rather not be a punching bag for the Rays and other AL contenders, acquiring Goldschmidt makes a whole lot of sense. Sending, say, 25-year-old Alex Kirilloff could help the Twins hoard their prospects rather than sending a war chest to St. Louis.

The far more likely option, of course, is that the Cards decide against trading Goldschmidt, who is a centerpiece of their core for at least the next season.

Cardinals Rumors: Is Dylan Carlson on the trade block?

One way or another, expect the Cardinals to clear up their outfield logjam at the trade deadline. It won't make much of an impact whether they are buying or selling, because all three of Dylan Carlson, Tyler O'Neill and Lars Nootbaar are valuable pieces for a contender.

Just last season, St. Louis reportedly did not want to include Carlson in trade talks for then-Washington Nationals star Juan Soto. Soto was eventually traded to the San Diego Padres instead.

Carlson is finally back from the injured list, but won't be getting his starting center field spot back anytime soon. Oli Marmol has been impressed with Tommy Edman, specifically defensively, of late.

"What he has shown in center field has been pretty darn impressive," Marmol said. "If you look at our outfield defense this year, the reality is it hasn't been very good. We've got time without the guys we were planning on having out there being out there."

With limited playing time to give Carlson, especially once Lars Nootbaar and Tyler O'Neill return from injury, the Cards would be best suited trading away the 24-year-old for incremental improvements on other parts of their roster, such as the pitching staff. Carlson is a former top prospect and has played well in the majors before. He's a building block for a rebuilding team. St. Louis, however, needs pitching help if they are to improve in 2023 and beyond.