St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Skip Schumaker will welcome trade

Unlikely to find a spot in the St. Louis Cardinals' day-to-day lineup in 2013, veteran infielder Skip Schumaker will reportedly be open to a trade this winter, according to a report by Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Though he suited up for 107 games this past year and hit a respectable .276 with 28 runs batted in, Schumaker saw his playing time dwindle down the stretch with the emergence of youngsters Daniel Descalso and Peter Kozma. And with both Descalso and Kozma each offering much more upside for the organization heading into next season, the writing is clearly on the wall that Schumaker's time as a fixture in St. Louis' lineup may already be long over.

Miklasz indicates that Schumaker is fully open to a deal in order to further his career, even though the 32-year-old utility infielder readily admits that he'd love to remain in a St. Louis uniform under different circumstances. The fact that he played 26 games solely in the outfield last season should boost his value around the league, but it's starting to look like Schumaker's eight-year stint with the Cardinals is nearing its end.