St Louis Cardinals

There are three finalists in the running to complete a trade for Washington Nationals star Juan Soto, but one team is reportedly separating itself from the pack.

MLB insider Hector Gomez reported Monday that the St. Louis Cardinals are "intensifying" their pursuit of Soto, becoming "much more aggressive of late in their trade proposals."

However, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Cardinals have not yet been willing to include Dylan Carlson and top prospects in a package together:

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are also still in the race to land the 23-year-old slugger.

Washington understandably has a high asking price for Soto, who is already a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and one-time National League batting champion. Teams have until the trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday to get a deal done.

The Cardinals, Padres and Dodgers all have strong farm systems full of talented players to include in trade packages. It was reported last week by ESPN's Buster Olney that San Diego was perceived by rival teams to be the front-runner to land Soto, but now that distinction appears to belong to St. Louis.

If the Cardinals manage to acquire Soto, it would be a significant addition to a team in the thick of the playoff race. At 54-48, St. Louis is one game out of a NL wild-card spot and three games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Soto would boost an already-potent lineup that averages 4.6 runs per game.

However, the Soto negotiations reportedly have impacted other teams as they try to make moves prior to the trade deadline. There have only been a couple of significant deals done, with the New York Yankees acquiring outfielder Andrew Benintendi and the Seattle Mariners landing starting pitcher Luis Castillo.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, "it was Soto's insertion into the trade deadline machine—two weeks ago, after he turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension offer—that helped grind the process to a halt."

As negotiations continue, it's unclear which team is willing to meet Washington's asking price. With just over 24 hours remaining before the deadline, there's an increased chance that the Nationals wait until the offseason to deal the outfielder.

The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and the sweepstakes for Washington Nationals star Juan Soto is reportedly heating up.

According to MLB insider Jim Bowden, the three teams considered finalists to land Soto are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. Teams have until 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday to get a deal done.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Texas Rangers had been among the teams pursuing Soto, but it appears they are longer in the running.

Bowden added that the Cardinals are offering the most talent from their major league roster, while the Padres are offering the most talent from their farm system. The Nationals are believed to be seeking a substantial package of young prospects in exchange for Soto.

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Thursday that San Diego was perceived to be the front-runner to acquire the 23-year-old slugger. The Padres have a strong selection of young players to include in trade offers, including their top two prospects, center fielder Robert Hassell III and catcher Luis Campusano.

The Dodgers and Cardinals also have highly touted youngsters they can build trade packages around, but it remains to be seen if they have enough to entice the Nationals to part ways with Soto, who has been in a slump amid the ongoing rumors.

The two-time All-Star is batting .246 with 20 home runs and 45 RBI entering Sunday. Since returning from the All-Star break, Soto has just five hits in 35 plate appearances.

Despite his recent struggles, Soto is one of the best young players in the majors and will turn whichever team he lands with into an instant contender to represent the National League in the World Series.

The Juan Soto sweepstakes is down to just four teams, according to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports, who noted the process is "moving along at a rapid pace."

The San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals are believed to be the front-runners for the Washington Nationals star, Bowden added. However, he noted that is "subject to change as any of the four teams still in the mix could improve their offers at any moment."

The news comes after ESPN's Jeff Passan said Friday on the Dan Patrick Show that he believes there's an 80 percent chance Soto will be moved ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

However, Passan noted that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who is asking for "125 percent of Juan Soto's value," needs to lower his asking price, otherwise he's unsure if Soto will get moved "for now."

In addition, Passan mentioned the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers as the "likeliest landing spots" if Rizzo drops the asking price. He also listed the Cardinals and Seattle Mariners as potential destinations.

The Nationals began taking trade calls on Soto after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. However, he is under team control through 2024 with two more years of arbitration eligibility, so Washington can wait for the best deal to move him, whether that be now or two years from now.

Soto is one of the best young talents in baseball and is expected to become one of the highest-paid players in the sport on his next contract.

The 23-year-old is having a solid 2022 campaign, hitting .243/.400/.480 with 20 home runs, 45 RBI and five stolen bases in 97 games. He was also named an All-Star for the second straight season and won this year's Home Run Derby.

Beyond that, he is a World Series champion, two-time Silver Slugger and won the batting title in 2020.

Any team that's interested in Soto must also be willing to take on starting pitcher Patrick Corbin in a trade package, per Bowden. The Nationals want "multiple major leaguers and top prospects" and to "offload" the remainder of Corbin's six-year, $140 million deal.

The Padres have been linked as a possible destination for Soto since it was reported that the Nationals were fielding offers for the star outfielder. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Friars are interested in pairing him with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.

"An early favorite for Soto just might be the San Diego Padres, the former 'small' market team that’s been full of surprises and thrills the past few years under GM A.J. Preller, a young man who knows the game and loves a gamble," Heyman wrote.

San Diego hasn't been shy about acquiring star talent to help it pursue a World Series title—Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Mike Clevinger, to name a few—so it would be no surprise to see it land Soto.

As for the Cardinals, bringing in Soto would undoubtedly give the team an upper hand on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central race and help it make a deep playoff run. Adding him to a lineup that includes sluggers Paul Goldschmidt (.335/.417/.619) and Nolan Arenado (.296/.359/.528) could be dangerous.

Whether Juan Soto is moved figures to remain the biggest storyline around Major League Baseball until the Aug. 2 trade deadline, and the St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly a team to watch.

Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the National League Central team is "viewed by rivals as a potential front-runner to land" the Washington Nationals star.

"The Cardinals line up for what the Nationals want—not just prospects, but young, controllable players already in the majors," according to the report.

Heyman and Sherman highlighted young major leaguers such as Dylan Carlson, Harrison Bader, Tyler O'Neill, Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan, as well as prospects such as Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn and Matt Liberatore as potential trade targets in the St. Louis organization if the Nationals do entertain a trade.

It figures to be far from a one-team race, though, as the report pointed to the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants as possible teams that could pursue Soto.

While Washington is under no immediate pressure to trade the 23-year-old considering he is under team control through the 2024 season, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last Saturday that it was open to talks after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer.

That gives teams around the league the chance to acquire a generational talent who has already won a World Series, batting title and two Silver Sluggers to go with two All-Star selections.

St. Louis is 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central race, and adding someone of Soto's caliber could make the difference down the stretch. It would also provide stability in the long run, since third baseman Nolan Arenado has an opt-out in his contract at year's end.

A lineup with Soto, Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt would be daunting for the rest of the National League, especially if the Cardinals were able to reach the playoffs and unleash it in multiple short series.

It would require parting with some of the young talent throughout the organization, but Soto could be a franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

St. Louis Cardinals stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado will not travel with the team to Toronto this week for a series against the Blue Jays as unvaccinated players, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Canada requires that all visitors to the country be vaccinated against COVID-19.

A number of teams have joined the Cardinals in leaving players behind for a road trip to Toronto. The Kansas City Royals had a whopping 10 unvaccinated players who couldn't face the Blue Jays, while four teams—the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins—had to leave behind four players.

"When it came time to decide whether I needed the vaccine or not, talked with a couple doctors I knew, told them my story, and really decided I didn't need it," Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto told reporters on July 12 about his unvaccinated status. "I wasn't going to take it basically because I was told to. I'm not going to let Canada tell me what I do and don't put in my body for a little bit of money. It's just not worth it."

That little bit of money was actually $260,000 of Realmuto's $24 million salary that he was docked for missing the Toronto series. He later told reporters he regretted his choice of words.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, will be without their two best players for games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Goldschmidt, 34, is hitting .333 with 22 homers, 74 RBI and a 1.019 OPS this season. He's a legitimate MVP candidate.

The 31-year-old Arenado has been nearly as terrifying for opposing pitchers, hitting .299 with 18 homers, 59 RBI and a .897 OPS.

For a Cardinals team battling for a postseason berth—they currently sit 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and just one game ahead of the Phillies for the final Wild Card berth—every game is important. Being without their two best players, who chose to remain unvaccinated, is a major blow.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols may have only been a ceremonial inclusion in the 2022 Home Run Derby, but his peers and fellow competitors had the chance to recognize his Hall of Fame career on a national stage as a result.

And he just so happened to stun the top-seeded Kyle Schwarber in the first round.

After the 42-year-old hit 13 home runs in the opening round, every All-Star gathered around him to honor his greatness.

That greatness includes two World Series crowns, three league MVPs, six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, 11 All-Star selections and, now, five Home Run Derby appearances.

He has just six home runs this season but has launched 685 in his illustrious career and once again had the opportunity to compete in front of the fans at Dodger Stadium after he played for the team during the 2021 season.

Those fans will also get the chance to see more of him after Pujols defeated Schwarber in a 60-second swing-off after they each hit 13 homers in their first rounds.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday a pair of legendary first basemen, the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols and Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, will take part in the 2022 All-Star Game as legacy selections.

The league will celebrate their career accomplishments as part of the 92nd Midsummer Classic, which will take place July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Manfred said in a statement:

I am delighted that Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera have agreed to participate in the All-Star Game. Albert and Miguel are two of the most accomplished players of their generation. They have also represented the baseball traditions of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela with excellence for the last two decades. Albert and Miguel are two all-time greats whose achievements warrant this special recognition.

Pujols announced in March he will retire following the 2022 season. Cabrera told ESPN's Sage Steele last year that he plans to play out his contract (via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). His eight-year, $248 million deal is guaranteed through 2023.

They are two of the best pure hitters of their generation.

Pujols has compiled a .296/.374/.541 slash line across 3,016 games with the Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers. He debuted with St. Louis in 2001 and returned to the Cards for the 2022 season to put the final touches on his Hall of Fame career.

Cabrera, 39, reached the 3,000-hit plateau this season after surpassing the 500-homer mark in 2021. His career slash line stands at .310/.386/.528 after 2,657 appearances.

He's no longer the Triple Crown threat he was during his peak seasons, hitting just three long balls in 70 games this season, but he's still put up a .347 on-base percentage in 2022.

Cabrera started his career with the Florida Marlins in 2003 before arriving in Detroit in 2008. He and Pujols have combined for 23 All-Star selections, 13 Silver Slugger Awards, five MVP Awards and three World Series titles.

Starters for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game will be announced Friday night followed by the full roster reveal Sunday.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list Friday because of "persistent knee soreness that has ailed him through most of the 2022 season," according to Katie Woo of The Athletic.

Woo noted the Cardinals are preparing for Molina to miss "at least a few weeks."

The 39-year-old has settled into old age fairly well. His offense isn't as strong as it once was, with sub-.700 OPS marks in each of the past two seasons, but he still hit for a decent average in that stretch (.255). Yet he's hitting .213/.225/.294 in 38 games in 2022.

The Cardinals did play without Molina for three games from May 23 to May 25. He was placed on the bereavement list because his son had surgery stemming from an injury suffered playing baseball in Puerto Rico.

Now in his 19th season, Molina remains a dynamite defender. He threw out 41 percent of attempted base stealers last year, his second straight season over the 40 percent mark. He's at 38 percent for 2022.

The Cardinals signed Molina to a one-year contract extension in August 2021. His ability to manage the pitching staff has made him an invaluable member of the organization for nearly two decades.

Andrew Knizner will likely move into the starting lineup. The 27-year-old is hitting .198/.283/.257 in 101 at-bats this season.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas was one pitch away from throwing a no-hitter on Tuesday, but it wasn't meant to be.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Cal Mitchell spoiled the party with a two-out double in the ninth inning off a two-strike pitch from Mikolas. St. Louis then turned to reliever Packy Naughton to get the final out in the 9-1 victory.

Mikolas settled for a final line of 129 pitches in 8.2 innings, with one hit, one walk and six strikeouts. After the game, he was honest about how he felt after losing a no-hitter in such devastating fashion:

"I can't say enough about our defense tonight. We were everywhere we had to be and making fantastic plays all game," Mikolas continued. "I kind of feel like I let them down after all the great defense that I got today."

Mikolas also assessed the mistake he made on the pitch to Mitchell, but he handled it in stride.

"Curveball's been pretty good all day, and maybe tried to overthrow it just a little bit, left it a little bit up. ... They put some really good swings on some good pitches today. And like I said, a couple deep fly balls to the track, that one kind of just kept going," Mikolas said.

Despite not getting a hit in the first eight-and-two-third innings, the Pirates recorded a run in the fourth when Daniel Vogelbach brought Bryan Reynolds home with a ground out to third. Reynolds had reached on a fielding error by St. Louis left fielder Juan Yepez.

Had Mikolas completed the no-hitter, it would've been the first one in which the opposing team scored a run since Ervin Santana's no-hitter in 2011.