Oct 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta (27) bat breaks during an bat bat in the first inning of game four of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

News broke this week that Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta would miss two to three months with a thumb injury. This is a huge loss for the Cardinals, who will now be without one of the game’s best offensive shortstops.

If the Cardinals opt to seek an external option to fill Peralta’s void, they could have a natural trade partner in the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks have a glut of middle infielders in Jean Segura, Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings, so trading the loser of the spring training position battle could prove to be beneficial for both teams.

Unless they got something ridiculous in return, it seems pretty unlikely that they would trade the recently acquired Segura. They gave up a lot to get him and the team seems to want to start him. So either Nick Ahmed or Chris Owings could be a legitimate trade candidate.

Both of these players bring solid defense. Ahmed led National League shortstops with a 4.82 range factor, was third in the majors with 20 defensive runs saved and his UZR of 11.3 was also third-best in the majors. Owings saved five defensive runs above the league average.

But since both are not star hitters, they probably would not net a huge prospect in return. Ahmed batted .226/.275/.359 last year and Owings batted .227/.264/.322. Despite this, their defensive prowess makes them both starting-caliber players, and players the Cardinals could consider as temporary starters. Since they would cost little they could move to the bench when Peralta comes back.

If the Cardinals can acquire Ahmed or Owings for a low to mid-level prospect, they would be foolish not to do it. And if the Diamondbacks can acquire a prospect for Ahmed and Owings, they would be foolish not to do it. There’s no reports suggesting anything is brewing, but the Diamondbacks have what the Cardinals are looking for right now.