During the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals fully committed to a rebuild. Newly-named general manager Chaim Bloom shook up the roster by trading away key players like Sonny Gray, Wilson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Brenden Donovan. The trades opened the door for young players to get opportunities in the Cardinals’ lineup, allowing the organization to evaluate the team’s future talent.
Now that we are in May, let’s take a look at where the traded players are compared to the players who took their spot on the Cardinals. Who is winning the trade so far?
Cardinals’ Winter Trades: Who is the Early Winner?
The Sonny Gray Trade
The Cardinals traded Gray to the Boston Red Sox in November. In exchange, the Cardinals acquired pitching prospects Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts, along with a player to be named later (Patrick Galle).
Gray in Boston
Gray has made five starts for the Red Sox. He is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA. However, he is currently on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring sprain. The 36-year-old can return as early as May 6th.
Replacements in St. Louis
Clarke, Fitts, and Galle have not pitched in the big leagues with the Cardinals yet. Gray’s spot in the rotation is taken by Kyle Leahy, who has pitched well in his new role. He is still working out some aspects of his game, and his 5.52 ERA is something the Cardinals will want to see significantly lower. However, Leahy is still having a decent start as someone in the rotation for the first time.
Verdict: Early Winner?
The Red Sox have been a mess so far this season, highlighted by the firing of their manager and other coaches. To his credit, he has looked fine in his starts, but he is not helping the team right now on the injured list.
Leahy is still working on developing as a starter. Learning curves are to be expected. This is a hard one to call, but we are going to give the nod to the Cardinals as the early winner.
The Willson Contreras Trade
In the middle of December, Contreras joined Gray on the Red Sox. In return, the Cardinals received pitching prospects Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo, and Blake Aita.
Contreras in Boston
Contreras is hitting .264 with 7 home runs and 20 RBIs for the Red Sox. His home run and RBI totals lead the team. He has been a bright spot for a struggling Red Sox team.
Replacements in St. Louis
Dobbins is the only one of the returnees who has pitched in the big leagues this season, and that was just one start earlier in the week. At first base, Alec Burleson has taken over in a full-time role at the position. His offense is as good as ever, and he has held his own defensively.
Verdict: Early Winner?
We are going to call this a draw. Contreras has done his part for the Red Sox. Burleson has continued to hit well.
The Nolan Arenado Trade
In January, the Cardinals traded Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitcher Jack Martinez. The Cardinals also sent $31 million to cover most of Arenado’s $42 million contract.
Arenado in Arizona
After a slow start, Arenado has started to get going with the Diamondbacks. He is batting above .270 and has been a reliable defender, although he is not playing at the Gold Glove status fans are used to seeing.
Replacements in St. Louis
Trading Arenado had nothing to do with the return. It was about opening up playing time for Nolan Gorman, so the Cardinals could get a better idea of who Gorman is. Gorman is only hitting .224 and has split time with Roman Urias at third base. Urias is only batting .170.
Verdict: Early Winner?
The Cardinals have exceeded expectations so far this season. While Gorman and Urias have had some big hits for the team, many others have had bigger contributions.
The Diamondbacks are hovering around .50o. While Arenado is no longer the elite player he once was, he is a productive player at the moment. As such, we are giving the Diamondbacks a slight edge.
The Brendan Donovan Trade
In early February, the Cardinals completed a three-way trade with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays. The Mariners acquired Donovan from the Cardinals. The Cardinals acquired pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfielder prospects Tai Peete and Colton Ledbetter, and two Competitive Round B picks. The Rays acquired Ben Williamson.
Donovan in Seattle
Donovan has had a good start with the Mariners, batting .304. However, he is on the injured list with a left groin muscle strain. The injury forced him to miss his return to St. Louis last weekend.
Replacements in St. Louis
None of the players the Cardinals acquired have played in the MLB yet. However, trading Donovan opened an opportunity for JJ Wetherholt to make the team out of Spring Training as the starting second baseman. The rookie took advantage of the opportunity and made the team. Furthermore, he has been productive in the lead-off spot and has played well at second base.
Verdict: Early Winner?
This is a hard one to choose. Wetherholt’s emergence has been a huge part of the team exceeding expectations. The Mariners are hovering around .500 and have underwhelmed based on expectations. Donovan is being productive, but like Gray in Boston, he is currently not helping the team on the injured list.
Given the standard we set with the Gray verdict, we are going to give this one to the Cardinals.
Verdicts Subject to Change
It is just May 2. These are just verdicts based on what we have seen so far this season. A lot can change. Once Gray and Donovan get off the injured list, they may go on a tear and help their teams, making them a clear winner.
It is worth remembering, however, that there does not have to be a winner in a trade. Both teams can win. In fact, the best trades are those in which both teams win. The Red Sox, Mariners, and Diamondbacks can benefit from the players they acquired now, while the Cardinals can down the road.
As with most things, time will provide us with the answer.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
