1 team the Cincinnati Reds cannot do business with at the trade deadline

Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle will be among the most popular names at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. After the Cincinnati Reds jettisoned Sonny Gray and Wade Miley, they sent a clear signal to the rest of the league that they're rebuilding.

When it comes to what the Reds might be able to receive in return for either Castillo or Mahle, the compensation is expected to be quite nice. We're likely talking about a couple of highly-touted prospects or maybe a young, up-and-coming major league talent.

And while the prudent move is to take the best offer available, there's one team who's likely in the market for a starting pitcher with whom the Cincinnati front office should have no dealings whatsoever.

The Reds cannot trade Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle to the Cardinals.

In no way, shape, or form should Cincinnati Reds GM Nick Krall even field a phone call from St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. The Redbirds will be in the market for a starting pitcher and have been linked to Oakland A's starter Frankie Montas.

The problem is, Montas exited a game over the weekend and the results of the MRI have yet to be revealed. Oakland's manager Mark Kotsay would only say that it was a shoulder injury. How long might Montas be out is anyone's guess at this point.

But if the Cardinals want to upgrade their starting rotation, they needn't even look at the duo of Tyler Mahle or Luis Castillo. The Reds already lost Wade Miley to the Chicago Cubs. The team cannot possibly entertain losing one of their starters to another division rival.

The one thing I would say is that if, and that's a big if, the Cincinnati Reds did field any interest from the St. Louis Cardinals, the price would immediately skyrocket. It would require Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera to even get the conversation started.

That would likely result in Mozeliak immediately hanging up the phone. Which is perfectly fine. The Cincinnati Reds have no business trading Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle to the St. Louis Cardinals this summer. Don't even think about it.