As the St. Louis Cardinals delve into the seller’s market at this year’s trade deadline, they seem to have found an ideal business partner: the Toronto Blue Jays.
First, the two teams linked up in a trade that sent that flame-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks North of the border for a package of pitching prospects. As the Blue Jays needed a replacement for closer Jordan Romano, the Cardinals were there to save them.
Then, on deadline day, the two organizations conducted business again, as the Redbirds sent Paul DeJong up to Toronto in exchange for another pitching prospect. Once more, the Blue Jays had to replace an ailing star (Bo Bichette), and the Cardinals were ready to provide relief.
St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays proving to be ideal partners at the MLB Trade Deadline
Cardinals receive RHP Matt Svanson in the Paul DeJong deal. @MLBPipeline @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 1, 2023
It’s this manufactured synergy between St. Louis and Toronto that has led to both teams accomplishing what they each set out to do entering this active period in the baseball season. The Cardinals are now fully committed to resetting for 2024, while the Blue Jays prepare to take on the challenge of competing in a stacked American League Wild Card race.
St. Louis, despite having previous apprehension about dealing off major pieces, shouldn’t hold back now. They’ve got pieces any team could use, not just the Blue Jays. Just ask the Texas Rangers, who recently swung a deal with the Cardinals for starter Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton. The phone lines are open in Missouri (that definitely includes Kansas City, as well) and the calls from Canada have been coming.
Of course, more deals could still go down between now and the 6 p.m ET hard deadline set for Tuesday night. But in the interim, these two popular franchises with rabid fanbases are proving to make an excellent match for each other.