The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off of a World Series loss to the Boston Red Sox and now that the winter has started up and free agency is moving along, trade rumors have started to surface as well and one name that has been mentioned for the Cardinals in Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki as well as Rangers SS Elvis Andrus and the team may be willing to give up Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller or Pete Kozma to pull it off.
According to CBS Sports, the Cardinals are serious about upgrading at shortstop heading into next season and since the team has depth with young pitching and in their farm system, they could be willing to part with some solid young talent, including Lance Lynn or Shelby Miller a pitchers and with Kozma, who has been solid at SS, but not with his bat as much as his club. The Cardinals are in an interesting situation, as they are losing a number of players to free agency, meaning some money is coming off the books and that could make the franchise able to absorb a contract as big as Tulowitzki's, as he still has seven years and over $130 million on the deal.
Tulo would be an immediate upgrade at shortstop offensively and he has a very good glove as well and while this deal would border on the blockbuster, it could be good for both sides, as the Rockies could get some young talent while also getting out from under a very big contract. Making the entire situation all the more fun, Tulo of course has a no trade clause and while Rockies ownership has been fairly clear about not trading him, that could change if the right deal came along.
Speaking of big name shortstops with a big contracts, Elvis Andrus on the Rangers is another option for the Cardinals to look at, as his name has come up in trade rumors in the past and he has a hefty deal as well. The 29-year-old Tulo would be ideal for the Cardinals, as he can hit for power and average and has a good glove and while the deal could take a lot to get done, it's something the Cardinals and Rockies will likely explore at the winter meetings. The Cardinals could use other players as well, including Matt Adams, Shelby Miller, Kevin Siegrist and Trevor Rosenthal, but Lynn and Miller have been mentioned the most so far in rumors. The Cardinals already have a former Rockie in Matt Holliday and that could make things go smoother for Tulo and hit no trade clause as well.
Miller was not used in the postseason really and with Tulowitzki as one of the best young offensive shortstops in the game, he would be a perfect solution for the Cardinals. Kozma has not been able to do it with his bat for the Cardinals and with Tulo coming off of a season with hitting 25 home runs and over .300 and 80 RBIs while being injured, he could be one of the biggest targets this offseason.
