The Cardinals may not have been as quiet as they appeared at the trade deadline, but they still ended up with little to show for their efforts.
The Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles were hardly the only teams to buck expectations at the trade deadline. The St. Louis Cardinals seemed a good bet to do something, whether that meant adding a piece in hopes of a run at the division, or moving one of their own players for some future value.
By the time the dust settled yesterday afternoon, the Cardinals were conspicuously absent from the day’s transactions. As the deadline neared, speculation grew that St. Louis would market right-hander Lance Lynn as an alternative to top-tier starters Yu Darvish and Sonny Gray.
The Gray and Darvish deals came together late on Monday, however, and if the Cards wanted to offer Lynn to those who missed out on the aces, there simply wasn’t enough time. But that may not have been the Redbirds’ strategy at all while the minutes ticked down.
According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, St. Louis was actually a late entrant in the Gray sweepstakes. As the Yankees and A’s haggled over the final prospect package that would head to Oakland, the Cardinals made an offer of their own:
"One other note on the Gray saga: The Cardinals entered the discussions late, floating the idea of a package that would have included outfielder Stephen Piscotty and a right-handed pitcher, either Luke Weaver or Jack Flaherty.The discussions did not advance; the A’s wanted the Yankees’ prospects instead."
Though the 26-year-old Piscotty’s stock has fallen somewhat amid a rough year (.236/.348/.371 in 69 games), Flaherty or Weaver would have surely given the A’s something to think about. The right-handers are currently ranked #53 and #63 overall by MLB Pipeline, respectively. At the end of the day, Oakland received a trio of prospects from New York, and though two come with injury concerns, all boast significant upside.
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Too little, too late perhaps, but the last-ditch effort for Gray gives you an idea of general manager John Mozeliak’s mindset in the waning hours before the deadline. Gray would have been an acquisition to help the Cards in 2017, and with two more years of control, in the future as well.
While St. Louis hasn’t been the most inspiring team this season, they’re still a manageable 4.5 games behind in the NL Central despite being a game under .500. In a division no one seems to want to take control of, the right move could have given the Cardinals a needed push in a close race. After missing the playoffs for the first time in six years last season, the motivation would be understandable.
For Mozeliak’s part, he admitted frustration over being unable to complete a deal, as reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But he also said the front office did not want to make a trade just for the sake of one. With Lynn an impending free agent, the Cards could explore re-signing him in the offseason. If that doesn’t materialize – and the club again misses out on October baseball – they’ll probably wish they had gotten something for him on the trade market.
Next: Orioles double down on mediocrity
Sometimes the worst thing for a middling team to do is stand pat at the deadline. Whether you believe the Cardinals should have went for it or put up the for-sale sign, their inactivity isn’t likely to help them down the stretch. And for a team whose only real path to the postseason is through a division title, the outlook isn’t particularly promising.