A potential blockbuster trade involving RF Devers is what the St. Louis Cardinals should have pursued instead
Sure, buddy, let's dive into this hot topic baking in the Major League Baseball scene!
Listen, some folks may disagree, but I'm diggin' the smart move the SF Giants pulled off with Rafael Devers. This is the kind of deal the STL Cardinals oughta have been eying!
A few weeks back, I was chatty about how the Cards needed to mimic the Chi Cubs' play from last off-season, adding a crack bat to their lineup. Devers was my prime example, seeming like a bloody genius fit. Sadly, Cards left it on the table. Bam! Buster Posey snatched the opportunity, beating the Cardinals to the punch.
Here's the deal: Cards, with hidden potential for 2025, must prioritize setting themselves up for 2026 and beyond. Landing Devers would have done just that!
The Cards are lackin' that top 15 caliber bat that'll explosively transform their offense. Add Devers to their current lineup, you got a squad cookin' with gas, ready to rock one of the best units in baseball!
Was the fit complex? You bet! If they still had Nolan Arenado, the Cards would've had to juggle Herrera at catcher most days. But something tells me they'd have figured out a way to shuffle Arenado off to Boston with other pieces to appease Red Sox' wishes.
Even slingin' some quality pitching like the Giants, it'd have been a smart trade. Cards do not own a bat of Devers' caliber—hard to see 'em snaggin' one in free agency either. Trades or player development are their paths to a player of that caliber. Chaim Bloom's rap with Devers made him a unique match for the Cards.
The deal between Devers and the Red Sox fizzled due to deterioration in their relationship, particularly around Bloom's promises regarding Devers' preferred position (third base), going unfulfilled.
Here's what drives me crazy: the Braves, Padres, Blue Jays, alongside the Giants, probed about Devers' availability. Yet, the Cards weren't in on it. That's a massive oversight in my eyes!
It doesn't take a genius to link the dots together and see why St. Louis was a perfect match for Devers...
- Cards desperately needed a middle-of-the-order bat, and Devers was the ideal guy to fill that vacancy. Sure, there are bats galore, but Devers stands head and shoulders above them all.
- Word on the street is Cards had a deal in place with the Red Sox to offload Arenado before they inked Alex Bregman. If they were ready to deal Devers, it's not far-fetched to imagine a deal brewing around shipping Arenado and other pieces to Boston in exchange for Devers. It'd have been complicated, but it coulda been a deal worth cookin'.
- And I'll say it one more time: We cannot ignore how much of an upper-hand the Cards may have had with Devers since Bloom is set to take the reins in 2025. Finding a long-term solution for his position mighta been challenging, but it seemed like Devers had no issues with Bloom before. Reuniting him with an exec he already had a good relationship with seemed like common sense, right?
Now here's the problem. We have no clue if the Cards even considered that kinda deal (which, if they didn't, that's a major issue), let alone made any moves to make it happen.
But Cards fans, fear not! I'm just an enthusiast, and i shouldn't be suggestin' stuff like this. The Cards oughta be doin' their own research and at least be makin' enquiries if serious bats like Devers ever become available.
Last year at the Winter Warm-Up, Sonny Gray almost signed with a different team, despite the Cards being his top choice. The issue wasn't how negotiations were goin' with the Cards; the issue was the Cards hadn't contacted Gray's camp until late in the process. That's bananas! How can someone be your top target, and you hardly make your interest known until months down the line? It boggles the mind that they almost missed out on Gray because they took too long to reach out!
Did Mo know a deal for Devers was in the works? Were the DeWitts in the loop? I'm guessing not, and that's a significant issue when you're runnin' a Major League Baseball organization. I like to think I have some decent ideas, but when I suggest somethin' like this, and the Cards apparently never did their own homework, it's insanity, especially considering we already know the Arenado conversations happened, and a deal was put on the table.
Sure, it would've been complicated. But if it's a talent like Devers you don't have internally or in free agency, you gotta be proactive in making sure you're in the mix if he ever becomes available. This ain't the Luka Doncic trade—that caught everyone off guard. Although no one knew a deal was imminent for Devers, we all knew the relationship was sour, and it didn't require a rocket scientist to suspect he might be shopped around.
Well, I guess unless you're the Cards, who neglected to call. I don't know how you sell your fanbase on the future when you conduct your business like this, but here we are!
Enrichment Data:
- The St. Louis Cardinals' lack of interest in acquiring Rafael Devers was mostly driven by their low chances to contend in the 2022 season after slumping in the wild card race. The poor June start (4-10 record) contributed to their struggles, falling behind rivals like the Giants, who significantly improved their roster with Devers. Given the Cardinals' low odds of catching up, it became increasingly unlikely they would contend this year[5].
- The Cards appear to be shifting their focus from contending immediately to rebuilding for the future. They are primed to trade away players with expiring contracts, such as Erick Fedde and Ryan Helsley, to accumulate prospect capital and establish a stronger position for future seasons instead of big-money acquisitions like Devers[5].
- Furthermore, Devers’ contract is substantial, involving approximately $14 million for the rest of 2025 and escalating to over $27 million in 2026 and beyond[4], placing a significant financial burden on the Cards. Financial considerations, combined with their current standing and strategy, made the acquisition of Devers difficult[4][5].
In summary, the Cards' lack of interest in Devers was primarily caused by their low chances to contend in 2022, their pivot to trade away assets and rebuild, and the financial commitment Devers’ contract would require[4][5].
- It's disappointing that the STL Cardinals didn't explore the opportunity to acquire Rafael Devers, as he could have provided the team with a top 15-caliber bat and transformed their offense into one of the best in baseball.
- With Chaim Bloom set to take over the Cardinals in 2025, there could have been an opportunity to reunite Devers with an executive he had a good relationship with, potentially making a deal between the two sides more attractive.
