Cardinals Offseason Preview

St. Louis lost last night, in historic fashion.

Pat Neshek came, who had been a shut down side-armer all year. Mike Morse took him yard in the 8th inning.

Michael Wacha, who had been a hurt starter all year, and hadn't pitched since the regular season, came into shut the door on Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, and Brandon Belt. Out of no where, Travis Ishikawa goes long in walk-off fashion.

You could argue that the St. Louis Cardinals were a troubled team. They couldn't find much offense, and their pitching went down a steep hill after the all-star break. They battled through injuries from key players, namely Yadier Molina, but somehow persevered into a NL Central Title.

When looking at the Cardinals roster on paper, you find little holes. You see a stud catcher, a great hitting left fielder, a scrappy third baseman, and finally a shortstop who looks like the real deal. Consistently this team has a strong farm system. Oscar Tavares, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal are just some of the big league players to come out of it.

Looking at next year, you can see a team that could be perennial World Series favorites. The starting rotation is shaping as follows: Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller and John Lackey. They will likely let Justin Masterson walk, giving room for Wacha back in the rotation. The bullpen looks solid, with an underrated Trevor Rosenthal holding down the closer spot.

One flaw for the Cards will be their offense however. Last year they finished 24th in the league in runs scored. One big problem was their power. They finished 23rd in slugging percentage, with four players top ten home runs. This offseason however, that could change drastically. Don't be surprised if they pull of a miracle trade for a top outfield performer. Here are some options:

Cardinals trade Oscar Taveras, Rob Kaminsky and Carlos Martinez
Marlins trade Giancarlo Stanton

This gives the Cardinals one of the best players in the game. Maybe even THE best player in the game. They would slide Stanton into RF and Jay into CF, and put Stanton in the 4 spot. Losing Kaminsky, a young lefty, and Carlos Martinez, a have-been, is necessary and not a death march.

Cardinals trade Stephen Piscotty and Peter Bourjos
Reds trade Jay Bruce

Bruce had an off year last year, but should return to 25 homers .250 average with stellar defense. Adding a left handed bat is crucial, and Bruce is a good fit. Piscotty is their current top prospect, but not one they should pine over.

Cardinals sign Nelson Cruz for 4 years 62 million

Adding onto their 4 year priced Biogenesis players, Cruz would fit nicely in right field. Signing with an NL team would be risky as a preferred DH, but signing with a winning team would be crucial. The last time Cruz missed the postseason was back in 2009, and I reckon he won't stop that streak this year.

The Cardinals will be looking to be one of the most well rounded teams next year, with power speed and defense highlighting their line-up and strikeouts their rotation and bullpen. This team is one of the best franchises of the past decade, and they should not be taken out of consideration for this playoff defeat.