Asdrubal Cabrera rumors quiet down, but St. Louis Cardinals' infield needs still real

The Asdrubal Cabrera trade rumor well has gone dry after its auspicious start as the first name-brand St. Louis Cardinals trade talk of the offseason, but as we lurch toward the winter meetings it's probably too early to give up on it entirely. That's because Cabrera isn't just interesting as an individual trade target—he's interesting for how perfectly he fits into the Cardinals' primary need this offseason.

That is, somebody who can both bump Daniel Descalso off the depth chart and fill in at shortstop when Rafael Furcal is injured, which seems almost inevitable at this point. Cabrera's played both positions, and some defensive metrics and scouts are skeptical of his range at shortstop in the medium and long-term; meanwhile, he's a fine hitter no matter which middle infield position he ends up at.

Whether it's Cabrera, or Stephen Drew, or Hiroyuki Nakajima, the Cardinals need somebody who answers to that description—second baseman because the Cardinals don't have one, and shortstop because the Cardinals will need an extra.

Asdrubal Cabrera appears to be on the trade market, and the Cardinals' interest has already been hinted at. Until he goes somewhere else, it's unlikely we've heard the last of this particular trade rumor.