By Chris Brown – STL Baseball Today

Updated 7:35pm CT 7/28 with details on Orioles likely reluctance to deal Chris Davis.

Prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Braves, John Mozeliak said something you wouldn’t expect to hear from the Cardinals general manager:

“We are certainly going to try and make a move before the deadline,” Mozeliak told KMOX’s John Kelly. He didn’t specify what type of player the club is most looking to acquire, but a bat of some kind seemed to be the most likely option, considering Mozeliak has been “emphatic” that the team wasn’t in the market for a starter (via Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch), and had just traded for reliever Steve Cishek.

One day later, on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was first to report that the Cardinals have expressed interest in Milwaukee Brewers’ first baseman Adam Lind (read much more about that here).

And on Tuesday morning, just hours after Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a package including shortstop Jose Reyes and three prospects, Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi reported that the Cardinals talked to Colorado about their star shortstop in the recent past before the blockbuster trade with Toronto was agreed upon.

The Cardinals had been tied loosely to Tulowitzki in rumors before the team signed Jhonny Peralta prior to the 2014 season, but in an article published Tuesday morning, Goold describes how the Cardinals interest in trading for the 5-time All-Star was sincere, even eager. One sure told Goold that a deal never came together because the asking price was “absurd” – the Rockies were reportedly looking for a package that involved some, if not all of the following: Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal, and Matt Adams.

With Friday’s non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching, I’ll keep track of the latest Cardinals trade rumors below:

First baseman/offensive help: 

• Tuesday, 7:25pm CT: It’s appearing more and more unlikely the the Orioles would be willing to part with potential trade candidate Chris Davis, as Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi reports the team remains interested in Padres’ outfielder Justin Upton. As Morosi notes, the Orioles have won three straight games and are now (headed into play Tuesday) tied with the Blue Jays in the AL East Wild Card race, so the team is more likely interested in buying rather than selling.
• Tuesday, 1:50pm CT: ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports that the Cardinals are continuing to work to acquire first baseman Adam Lind from the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Tuesday morning: Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi reports that the Cardinals are still looking to add a bat, as evidenced by their reported interest in Troy Tulowitzki.
• Tuesday morning: Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the concern about Adam Lind (Brewers) potentially blocking Matt Adams at first base next season (discussed here) is overblown, because the Cardinals could pick up Lind’s affordable $8 million 2016 option and then trade him.
• Monday afternoon: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported that two potential first base options, Yonder Alonso (Padres) and Brandon Moss (Indians), “don’t appear to be” on the Cardinals’ radar at the moment. Crasnick also noted he doesn’t see Adam LaRoche (White Sox) as a possibility given his $13 million salary next season.
• Monday afternoon: ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported that he’s heard from teams with interest in Brewers’ first baseman Adam Lind who believe he will end up in St. Louis.

Pitching:

• Tuesday morning: CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman hears that the Cardinals are still looking at help for their bullpen even after the recent acquisition of Steve Cishek from the Marlins.

Check back for for updates…

 

Feature image used under Creative Commons by Keith Allison. No changes made. Image license.