Cardinals trade proposal lands breakout 19 home run slugger

The St. Louis Cardinals are fighting for a postseason spot and could be buyers at this year's MLB trade deadline. While an outfielder isn't a major need, with the concerning injury to Lars Nootbaar, an outfielder could be a sneaky pickup.

Zach Pressnell of Sports Illustrated proposed a trade that would have the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins linking up on a deal. Miami would send breakout slugger Kyle Stowers to the Cardinals for a haul of players and prospects.

"St. Louis needs an impactful outfielder as Jordan Walker has struggled at the big-league level." Pressnell writes, "Adding an All-Star like Stowers with the power that he possesses would give the Cardinals everything they thought they had with Walker."

While St. Louis could still try to make things work with Walker and keep Nootbaar long-term, the potential addition of Stowers would be too great to pass up. The 27-year-old former top Baltimore Orioles prospect has been breaking out this season.

Through 91 games, Stowers had 89 hits, 46 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 54 RBIs, 34 walks, and 97 strikeouts. He's hitting .293 on the year, with a .368 on-base and .543 slugging percentage.

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Stowers' .911 OPS would be behind only Ivan Herrera among Cardinals hitters with at least 100 at-bats. His offensive production at the plate, combined with solid outfield ability, would make Stowers a highly sought-after trade target.

Teams with more dire needs in the outfield than the Cardinals would be vying for Stowers. Yet, if the Cardinals could land the breakout slugger, it'd be a no-brainer move. He'd bolster the outfield for years to come and help relieve the sting of Walker not developing.

Walker might even be heading back to Miami as part of a potential deal, as he still has incredible potential and could just need a change of scenery.

But, for St. Louis, adding a layer like Stowers would be an incredible move both for 2025 and in the long term. He's under team control through 2029 and would be a core piece of the Cardinals as they turn the corner and become top contenders in the NL.

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