LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The A’s and Cardinals continued discussions about St. Louis outfielder Stephen Piscotty on Wednesday, with multiple sources suggesting an agreement might be concluded before the end of the winter meetings.
Piscotty, 26, is from Pleasanton and played at Stanford. His mother, Gretchen, was diagnosed with ALS this year, and the Cardinals have been open to the idea of trading him to either the A’s or Giants if the possibility arises. The Cardinals, who already had a glut of outfielders, reportedly have a deal in place for Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna, freeing them to deal Piscotty and/or Randal Grichuk.
“I don’t know if I can empathize with Piscotty. You just hurt for him,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday. “You can’t even really go there to understand him and at his age and what it is that he had to endure or what that is like for a family. I think it’s really just understanding that it is very, very difficult. You let him know that you care. You acknowledge. You have compassion. We’re trying to be supportive for him, and we have to look to do anything we can.”
Oakland general manager David Forst downplayed the possibility of finalizing a deal in the next day or two, saying, “I wouldn’t place odds on it. ... When you see a press release, that’s when it’s done.”
The A’s are careful not to acknowledge trades before physicals are conducted; players have been known to fail physicals once every few years, nullifying transactions. It typically takes at least a day or two to get physicals completed, and sometimes it can take four or five if a player is on a vacation and/or has difficulties scheduling flights.
St. Louis is looking for prospects off Oakland’s 40-man roster, and though the A’s will not discuss any of their top young players, one name that has been discussed, according to one industry source, is infielder/outfielder Yairo Muñoz. The Cardinals have interest in relief help, too, and previously have asked about Liam Hendriks. Frankie Montas is another possibility, as is power-hitting corner infielder Renato Nuñez, who is out of options.
Piscotty, who played at Amador Valley High School, is signed through 2022, with a team option for 2023, and the A’s specifically have been looking for a young right-handed-hitting outfielder under long-term control.
“We came in with specific targets and we made progress with those things,” Forst said. “But someone asked me, ‘Are you going to leave with a right-handed-hitting outfielder?’ I’m leaving with my luggage. That’s about all I know. ... It doesn’t do anybody any good to guess.”
The A’s also are looking for a left-handed reliever and if they acquire an outfielder via a trade, as appears more than likely, they probably will go after a free-agent left-hander, with Tony Watson among the potential targets. The A’s have spoken to “a handful” of agents, according to Forst.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations,” Forst said. “You’re seeing slowly but surely relievers coming off the board, so things are happening. We’ve spent a good amount of time on that as well.”
Oakland has announced a fair number of deals right after the winter meetings in recent years, including the Brett Lawrie deal with the White Sox in 2015 and deals with free-agent relievers John Axford and Ryan Madson that same week.
Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser