After making a major deal to shape their World Series-winning roster last season, ESPN's Buster Olney spoke with executives that expect the St. Louis Cardinals to be aggressive on the trade market once again in 2012. The piece is Insider-only, but it leads with Olney wondering whether, "There be owners who convince themselves that they're destined to be the 2012 version of Bill DeWitt, holding up a championship trophy at the end."
Talking to executives, Olney lists the Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers as three teams that could be out looking for big upgrades in 2012. Last year, the Cardinals made a controversial deal that sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto for a package led by Edwin Jackson, but GM John Mozeliak was ultimately vindicated by the team's victory in the World Series.
Executives that Olney spoke with expect St. Louis to be creative once again in filling whatever holes end up existing:
At this point, the Cardinals' needs haven't been clearly defined, because they don't yet know what Chris Carpenter might provide or how good the rotation could be in the second half or if injuries will need to be addressed. But rival GMs expect that the Cardinals will be active when they need to be active.
Carpenter is still recovering from shoulder issues that have shelved him all season, but the hope is that he'll be back well before the end of the season. That could certainly qualify as a major addition to the Cardinals' roster before the team even considers making major trades.
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