Cardinals' Chaim Bloom has pulled off a conniving heist in the nation's capital

The Smithsonian Institution has a federal force of about 850 guards to ensure that its property remains safe and untouched. Perhaps the nearby Washington Nationals should take a page out of their book, because St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom looks to have swiped a precious jewel from DC's bumbling baseball team and left a cheap imitation in its place.

When the Cardinals dealt right-handed relief pitcher Andre Granillo to the Washington Nationals in February for another right-handed bullpen arm in George Soriano, the main reaction among Cardinals Nation was one of confusion. Why would the rebuilding Cardinals deal a cost-controlled pitcher for one who was a year older and out of minor league options and who had been waived by three different teams the prior season? True, Granillo hadn't set the world on fire during his stint with the major league club, holding a 4.71 ERA in 21 innings, but Soriano was coming off of an abysmal season with the Miami Marlins, where he pitched to a hideous 8.35 ERA in 36.2 innings.

Turns out that Bloom knew exactly what he was doing.

Since that trade, Soriano has revived his career in St. Louis. He currently has an ERA of 3.18 in 22.2 innings and has been among the Cardinals' top relief pitchers, especially in high-leverage situations. His main problem in the past was his propensity to surrender home runs, but he looks to have cut that down to a more manageable rate, with just three allowed thus far on the season. If the Cardinals trade current closer Riley O'Brien at the trade deadline, Soriano would appear to be the favorite to step into the stopper role given his performance to this point.

Former Cardinal Granillo's performance for his new team hasn't been as rosy

So what became of the pitcher the Cardinals gave up on in this seemingly baffling trade? Prior to his promotion to the Cardinals, Granillo had been lights-out in Triple-A Memphis, owning a 1.49 ERA in 42 innings and striking out 58 batters. In 2026 with Washington, Granillo has gone sideways: In 9.1 innings, he's allowed 10 earned runs, walked eight batters and fanned only three of them. Washington optioned Granillo to Triple-A Rochester in early May, where he has continued to struggle, allowing 15 earned runs in 16 innings, striking out 14 and walking 10.

The Nationals aren't known for their scouting and player development prowess; in fact, prior to the season, they dismissed everyone from their professional scouting department. Much like the Cardinals prior to Bloom's accession, the Nationals were among the least advanced teams in the league regarding technology. Bloom was surely aware of Washington's wobbling into the new era of baseball and decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Bloom executed a flurry of trades during the offseason, most of which included sending established major league talent for young prospects. It's too early to judge how those deals will work out, but as of now, one of his less heralded and more head-scratching trades has borne admiring results for the Cardinals and created a headache for the Nationals. If Bloom keeps swindling teams like this, the Cardinals fanbase will return to its status as a National League villain. That's exactly how Bloom should want it.

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