St. Louis Cardinals: Ranking the 10 worst trades in the last 20 years

9. St. Louis Cardinals acquire two bullpen arms for Luke Voit.

Cardinals Receive: Chasen Shreve, Giovanny Gallegos

Yankees Receive: Luke Voit

In the St. Louis Cardinals’ seemingly endless search for left-handed bullpen arms, the team decided to part ways with Voit to get Shreve and prospect Gallegos. After the trade, Voit received ample playing time and absolutely mashed, hitting .333 with 14 homers in 132 at-bats with the Yankees.

This power stroke never really materialized in his Cardinals tenure, where he only hit five home runs in 125 at-bats. He’s started slowly for the Yankees this year, but he’s shown some signs of turning it around lately.

Voit likely wouldn’t have had much of a chance to play regularly for the Cardinals, barring injuries, so the trade made sense. Matt Carpenter was playing first base, and Voit’s main role was as a pinch-hitter. Swapping him for pitching was a logical move.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Shreve failed to impress. He struggled with control, walking nine batters in 14.2 innings. He also surrendered five home runs. Shreve was designated for assignment on March 22, but he went unclaimed, so the Cardinals sent him to Memphis on March 27.

Gallegos continues to show promise, however. His last extended stretch was in Triple-A in 2018 where he pitched to a 2.64 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. His big-league exposure has been limited, but his strikeout rate is quite high with the Cardinals. He could become a good bullpen piece as he gets more time in the MLB.

While it’s too early to call this trade a true loss for the Cardinals, Voit has served as a game-changer for the Yankees, while Shreve hasn’t done much to warrant staying. Gallegos, though, still has a chance to make the trade worth it.