It’s no secret that the Cleveland Guardians aren’t typically big players or are very active in the free agency market. Many of their big offseason moves come through a trade.

If the Guardians are planning on shaking things up before 2026 Opening Day, there’s one team that is a perfect trade partner with Cleveland, and that’s the St. Louis Cardinals.

Let’s break down why these two teams have the foundation to swing a major offseason move over the next few months. 

The Cardinals Have What The Guardians Need

Let’s start simple with this: the Cardinals have exactly what the Guardians need to enter next season as a true playoff threat. 

Brendan Donovan has been a name connected to the Guardians over the last week, and his fit with Cleveland’s roster makes a lot of sense. But it’s not just the All-Star hitter that the Guardians should consider calling the Cardinals about.

Lars Nootbar is another player St. Louis will reportedly listen to offers for. Yes, the outfielder already had offseason surgery, but Nootbar has a strong track record through his first five years in the big leagues. The 27-year-old has a career slash line of .242/.341/.406 with an OPS of .747. He would be an immediate upgrade in Cleveland’s lineup and its outfield position group.

Donovan and Nootbar are the two clear fits with Cleveland, but reports also indicate that the Cardinals will listen to offers on Nolan Arenado, Wilson Contreras, and Sonny Gray.

Typically, this trio would be out of the Guardians’ budget, but there are also reports suggesting that St. Louis could be willing to include cash in some deals to incentivize potential suitors.

Any of these five players would certainly make the Guardians a better team in 2026.

A Previous Connection Between Cardinals, Guardians

The Cardinals look like they’re headed for a full-blown rebuild, while the Guardians are (kind of) trying to be World Series contenders next season, meaning any deal between the two clubs will likely revolve around some of Cleveland’s prospects for St. Louis’ established big league players.

Luckily for the Guardians, they have an advantage that other teams don’t: a previous Cleveland executive in St. Louis’ front office.

In 2024, Rob Cerfolio was hired away from the Guardians to be the assistant GM of the Cardinals. Yes, this means that Cerfolio has a much better understanding of the prospects in Cleveland’s organization than any other team, which could help him and the Guardians find a trade that works for everyone.

Sometimes in MLB, trades are all about the preexisting relationship front offices already have, and there is clearly one already set between the Cardinals and Guardians that could make a trade between the two teams a ton of sense.