{"id":93603,"date":"2025-01-09T20:43:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T01:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=93603"},"modified":"2025-01-09T20:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T01:43:28","slug":"top-5-cardinals-trades-since-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/01\/09\/top-5-cardinals-trades-since-2000\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 5 Cardinals Trades Since 2000"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the St. Louis Cardinals offseason grinding to a halt<\/a>, let’s revisit their best acquisitions through trade of the past 25 years.<\/p>\n

While the Cardinals, in recent years, have become notorious for trading away young talent before they’ve been given the chance to develop, there was a time when their front office was known as one of the best in baseball. From acquiring future Hall of Famers to trading for unrecognized prospects, here are five moves made by the Cardinals organization that panned out decidedly in their favor.<\/p>\n

The Best Cardinals Trades Since 2000<\/h2>\n

5. Paul Goldschmidt<\/h3>\n

The Cardinals made their first blockbuster move<\/a> in years in 2018, acquiring Paul Goldschmidt<\/a> from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a trio of prospects and a competitive balance draft pick. Two of these prospects, Carson Kelly<\/a> and Luke Weaver<\/a>, have gone on to have major-league careers. Yet, none of them have had the impact that Goldschmidt has.<\/p>\n

Goldschmidt, upon arriving in St. Louis, immediately solved a leadership vacuum in the clubhouse. His stellar offensive and defensive play, culminating in his 2022 MVP campaign, cemented him as a fan favorite.<\/p>\n

The acquisition of Nolan Arenado<\/a> from the Colorado Rockies in 2021 helped found a new era in Cardinals baseball. Arenado and Goldschmidt’s tenure<\/a> marked one of the most exciting periods in Cardinals baseball this century.<\/p>\n

While it did not ultimately equate to playoff success, Goldschmidt’s time with the Cardinals will be remembered fondly for years to come.<\/p>\n

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Paul Goldschmidt simply refuses to stop hitting home runs. \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n

NL MVP favorite?<\/p>\n

(via @BallySportsMW)pic.twitter.com\/WcLfN3fXgB<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 15, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n