1 hypothetical trade each NL Central team should make

While the coronavirus pandemic has caused MLB to institute a roster freeze, theScore editors have dreamed up one hypothetical trade each team should make once business gets back to normal. Here is the NL Central.

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St. Louis Cardinals

These clubs finally pull the trigger on an Arenado blockbuster after reportedly talking during the offeason, and the return is impressive for both sides.

St. Louis acquires arguably the best third baseman in the majors, as Arenado is a true difference-maker on both sides of the ball. The five-time All-Star has won a Gold Glove in each of his seven MLB seasons and owns a career .897 OPS to go along with 253 home runs. This much-needed trade would give the Cardinals an elite bat to pair with Paul Goldschmidt following Marcell Ozuna's exit in free agency. The 29-year-old Arenado is under contract through 2026 but has an opt-out clause after 2021.

Meanwhile, Colorado would be moving on from its franchise player after he questioned the team's direction following a lackluster winter. The big prize for the Rockies here is Gorman, a 19-year-old who contains incredible raw power and could end up being one of baseball's top prospects in a year or two. Hudson, 25, won 16 games with a 3.35 ERA in 2019 on his way to finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. O'Neill is a young outfielder with plenty of upside.

Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee is looking to make the playoffs for the third straight year, but Christian Yelich will need all the help he can get after watching fellow All-Stars Mike Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal leave town in free agency.

Landing Samardzija would solidify a Brewers rotation that still has a lot of question marks following a busy offseason. He's a proven innings-eater who's coming off his best season in years, which would provide insurance for Brett Anderson's injury concerns and Josh Lindblom's lack of major-league experience. The 35-year-old Samardzija is owed $18 million in 2020 and will be eligible to become a free agent next offseason. The Giants would send cash to the Brewers to offset the cost of the right-hander's contract.

The Giants' rebuild would continue here with the addition of two top-10 Brewers prospects. Lutz, the No. 34 pick in the 2017 draft, is a toolsy player who provides power from the right side and should be ready to contribute in the majors during 2022. Rasmussen possesses a mid-to-upper-90s fastball that could help him get to the big leagues this season.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds were among the many teams interested in Yasmani Grandal during free agency, so it would make sense to address their glaring need at catcher by dealing with the franchise that ultimately landed him.

McCann is coming off a breakout All-Star campaign and might be able to fetch Chicago a couple of nice pieces. On the other hand, he only has one year of arbitration left and has no avenue to regular playing time with Grandal blocking him behind the dish and Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Abreu likely taking the lion's share of first base/designated hitter duties.

Meanwhile, Stephenson could immediately help Chicago's bullpen, Santillan is an interesting prospect whose shimmer faded a bit after a rough 2019, and Casali would give the White Sox a more suitable backup catcher. This deal would also enable the Reds to keep fellow catcher Tucker Barnhart, who hits left and could platoon with McCann.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are in sell mode. And while there are some pieces remaining on the roster to build around, Polanco isn't one of them.

The outfielder is signed to an affordable deal, as he's guaranteed nearly $15 million beyond 2020 and can earn up to $37.6 million over the next three years. If a team buys into his power potential - which he's shown in streaks - the Pirates could get a decent enough return to make a trade worthwhile.

The Indians need outfield help. And, given the types of players the Pirates targeted in their Starling Marte trade, a deal involving Hankins makes sense. The 19-year-old right-hander is a long-term project with a tantalizing ceiling - similar to Brennan Malone. Tena, a 19-year-old middle infielder, has decent potential and good contact rates, if not much pop.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are in a weird spot. The 2016 World Series champions are expected to compete but didn't do anything in the offseason after exceeding the first tier of the luxury tax last season. Many of the team's stars were even mentioned in trade rumors with the club looking to lower its payroll. However, Chicago's front office kept the band together for another run at the playoffs.

Givens would offer the Cubs some much-needed bullpen help behind closer Craig Kimbrel. The 29-year-old has posted a 3.40 ERA across five seasons with Baltimore and is arbitration-eligible through 2021. He's also coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him post a career-best 12.3 K/9 rate.

The Orioles would be receiving Chicago's No. 7 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Franklin, 20, can touch 97 miles per hour on the radar gun and is still filling out his 6-foot-4 frame. He's not expected to be up in the majors until 2022.