Bear with me, here, because what I might say in the course of connecting these two MLB trade rumors could shock and confuse you: The St. Louis Cardinals like to acquire veteran pitchers in the midst of off years. The Boston Red Sox are shopping veteran pitcher Josh Beckett, who is in the midst of an off year. So—yeah, you're tracking. The Cardinals, who have been connected to pitching help since June, should be considered as dark horse contenders for the service of Josh Beckett, who is pitching help.
↵Beckett's ERA—4.57—is a little scary, as is his declining strikeout rate, which is currently at a career-low 6.8 after hovering one-and-a-half higher for most of his Boston career. But he's still got a strikeout-to-walk ratio around three, and the Cardinals have never let a few bad starts get in the way of their affection for a pitcher, unless he's under 30. Beckett's 32, so no problem!
↵So far the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers have been the only named teams in the Beckett derby, but if the Cardinals make a move, at this point, I'm expecting to be surprised by it. If John Mozeliak is anything, it's frustratingly discreet.